US2004835A - Money counting machine - Google Patents

Description

June 11, 1935.

E.. FHSCHNEIADER MONEY COUNTIFNG MCHINE Filed May 15, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l June l1, 1935. E. PfscHNl-:DER 2,004,835

MONEY COUNTING MACHINE Y Filed May 15, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Chl/1444118.

Patented June 1l, 1935 UNITED `vSTATES PATENT oFFlcl;

Claims.

The invention relates to money counting machines and has for itsobjects to-provide ycertain new and useful improvements in machines for counting bills or paper currency.

An important object .of the invention is to provide positive means for yinsuring against the 1reception of more than one bill at a timeby the feeding mechanism which latter in turn actuates the counting mechanism of the machine.

By this invention an unintentional or attempted insertion of more than one bill at a time to the feeding mechanism lresults in a reversal of the feed in vsuch manner fas to return the plurality of bills to the operator and thus preclude their passage to the receiving receptacle.

A further and important object resides in the provision of means for materially reducing Wear in the accurately ground feeding rolls, with attendant prolongation of useful service without adjustment or repair, as Well as greatly minimizing if not entirely eliminating the objectionable noise of operation heretofore incident to machines of this character.

A further and important object is the installation of a properly located vout-out whereby a bill having a hole or damp spot near its'center is prevented vfrom registering twice, the dampspot beingcaused by the operator wetting his fingers on a sponge in the customary way of money counters. This difficulty vhas been present in former machines in which the vbill interrupted an electric circuit normally established between the feed rolls,for the purpose of registering the passage of the bill. Y

1n money counting machines of thegeneral nature to'which the present improvements are directed, as shown for example in U. S. Patents 1,328,263, 1,803,624 and 1,839,973, a pair of contacting positively driven rfeed-rollers are positioned to receive the bills or currency to be counted and carry the same successively yto a suitable receptacle located below and in the rear of the feed rollers. vIn their passage through the feeding mechanism each bill breaks the circuit and. actuates electricall means such as a relay which in turn actuates a counting device positioned on the machine within convenient view of the operator. In these machines it has been the practice to position the upper and lower feed rollers normally in contact with one another and when the motor is energized there results objectionable noise in operation and undesirable wear on the delicately ground feed rollers when no currency is being counted by the machine. It has further been the practice to provide means for automatically stopping the machine when two 0r more superimposed bills are fed to the rollers. The adjustment has been such as to close an electrical circuit and immediately stop the machine, preferably by means of abrake under such inadvertence on the part of the operator. Furthermore, in machines of the characterfstated the counting device actuatedbya relay suitably placed in circuit with the Idriving imotor which relay operates when the circuit is broken to actuate the counting device for a single op'- eration. The normally closed circuit'has been heretofore obtained by means of a spring or brush normally bearing again-stthe lower "feed roll, on each side ofthe upper feed roll, which normal contact of the brushes is broken by the insertion' of ythe billv between the feed rollers. f

This manner of operation is objectionable vbecause arcing occurs at the feed roller when the current is broken to actuate the relay and counting device. This arcing in time corrodes and pits the nely ground and .delicately'adjusted lower feed roller with consequent 'deleterious effects in successful operation of the machine. .By this invention any possibility of objectionable arcing between the feeding rollers is completely eliminated.

' The present invention completely obviatesand removes all of the above described vdisadvantages and objectionable features heretofore 'found 1inherent in machines of this character, and apositively kaccurate and operable machine'iis `olbtained which is admirably suited 'for present day needs, as in banks or the 'like, where there is occasion for the sorting and counting 'of paper currency.

With such objects in View, as well .as vother advantages `which may-be incident to the use of the improvements, the invention consists in the use of the parts and combinations thereof :hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several `necessary I'elements constituting the same rmay be varied in proportions vand arrangement without departing from the nature and scope of the invention.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood there are shown in the accompanying drawings means 'for carrying the same into practical effect, without limiting the :improvements, in their useful applications, to the vparticular constructions which, for the purpose vof explanation, have been made the subject 'of 'illustration.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a'portion of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 Fig. l.

f Fig. 3 is `a front elevation vof the vstructure lustrated in Fig. 1. l j

Fig. 4 is a wiring-.diagram illustrating the 'several electrical circuits embodied in the machine and automatically actuated control.. devices therefor. l

' Referring to the drawings, l indicates kthev as by brackets 2, a shaft 3 extending transversely of the frame at the front portion thereof. The shaft 3 is driven by an electric motor 4` (Fig. 4) suitably attached to the machine and directly driving said shaft through the medium of Ia belt 5 engaging a pulley 6 secured to the shaft 3.

The frame I is provided with a plurality of aligned compartments 1 designed for the reception of sorted paper currency or 4bills of various` kinds or denominations and each compartment is provided with a hinged bottom 8 and a separate feeding and counting mechanism constructed, arranged and operated in accordance with the present invention. Since the mechalnism is identical in construction and operation for each compartment, only one of said ,compartments and the mechanism associated therewith has Vbeen illustrated and will be described. The money is received by the compartment 1 after the same has passed through the feeding mechanism and is recorded by the counting device. Suitable means (not shown) are provided on the machine for dumping the compartment after a certain number of counted bills is received there- Thefeeding mechanism for each compartment of the machine includes a lower feed roller 9 fixed on the shaft 3 to rotate therewith, said feed roller having a central portion I of accurately ground tool steel or the like and outwardlyl tapered end sections II preferably constructed of aluminum. Such construction imparts a U shape to the bill and insures proper stackingof same when fed longitudinally to the feeding mechanism. A feed table I2 including end supports I3 is mounted as by integral lugs I4 on the bracket 2. An intermediate sheetV or plate of celluloid I5 or other material with antifrictional properties having a downwardly flexed orconcave central portion, is carried by or secured between the end supports I3 of the feed table I2 for receiving and supporting currency to be fed to thef machine.

An upper feed roller I6 is fixed 'on a shaft I1, the ends of said shaft being journaled in depending bracket members I8 of a roller supportingmember or lever I9 pivotally mounted at its rear end at 2D between ears 2I of a depending bracket member 22 in turn secured as by screws 23 to a rearwardly extending lug 24 of the bracket member 2. The upper feed roller I6 with its supporting lever I9 is mounted for slight pivotal movement on vthe bracket member 22, and the supporting lever has secured thereto at its forward end a projecting plate 25. A vertically extending pin 26 projects through an aperture in the plate and is adjustably mounted relative thereto by means of upper and lower set screws 21-21. The upper end of the pin 26 normally contacts with oneend of a substantially horizontal lever 28 pivotally mounted at 29between ears of a bracket 30 which is secured to a forwardly extending lug 3l of the bracket 2. The opposite end of the lever 28 is normally urged upwardly by means of an adjustable'` spring pressed pin 32 slidably retained in a housing 33 secured to the bracket 2. The tendency of the spring pressed pin 32 is to maintain contact between the opposite end of pivoted lever 28and the vertically extending adjustable pin 26 carried by the plate 25. The lever I9 and the roll I 6 carried thereby normally tend to swing downwardly toward the lower feed roller 9 and means are provided for obtaining an adjustable spacing of these rollers and to prevent their contact with one another at any time. The normal tendency of the lever `I9 and roll I6 to swing downwardly may be by the influence of gravity or if desired a suitably disposed spring 30-a -may be provided for the purpose. This spaced relation of the rolls is the intended and normal arrangement of the mechanism. To this end I provide a downward and inwardly extending ear 34 on the lower end of the bracket member 30, which ear carries a vertically disposed set screw 35 secured in adjusted position by means of a lock nut. This set screw is engaged by the forwardly projecting plate 25 of pivoted lever I9 and limits downward movement of said lever on its pivot relative to the lower feed roller 9. By adjusting the said set screw any desired spacing between the feed rollers 9 and. I6 may be obtained. Since the opposed faces of theupper and lowerl feed rollers are constructed of accurately machined and ground tool steel, I have found that prolonged successful operation of the machine is obtained by maintaining a normal spacing between said rollers of one-thousanth of an inch.. Since the thickness of the average bill is about three and one-halfV thousandths, the insertion of 'a bill between the rollers will result inthe upperv roller being displaced upwardly about the pivot 20, and sufficiently by reason of the location of said pivot', to actuate the relay and counting mechanism to be described.

One outer end ofthe horizontally pivoted lever 28 has secured thereto a block of insulating ma-` terial 36 which supports at `its lower end a pair of electrically connected substantially parallel and horizontally disposed upper'and lower spring contact members or leaves 31 and 38. A contact member 39 provided on the upper leaf 31 is adapted to normally engage an upper contact member 40 carried by a plate member 4I secured to the forward bracket member 2 and insulated therefrom by a block 42. A contact member 43 is also provided on the lower leaf'm'ember 38 and is normally spaced from a lower contact 44 adjustably mountedin a plate member 45 also secured to the `forward frame member 2 and insulated therefrom by said insulating block or member 42.

With particular reference to Fig. 4, when the machine is in operation and when no `bills or currency are being fed to the feeding mechanism, the shaft` 3 and the lower feed roll 9 are rapidly rotated at a speed of approximately '100 R. P. M'. by the electric'motor 4. Under these conditions the motor 4 is energized by means of anY electric current passing Vfrom the positive side of a source of direct current, such 'as a line wire 4G, through wire 41, series connected eld windings 48 and wire 49 back to the negative sides of saidsource, such as aline wire 50. Also, the armature winding ris energized by virtue of an' electric current passing from the positive line wire 46 through wires 5I, 5I, switcharm 52, contact 53,'wire 54,

-brush 55 'of motor 4, windingof armature 56,

brush 51 and wire 5B back to negative lead wire An electric circuit 'is also established whichA passes from positive lead wire 46, through wire 59, winding of 'counter relay 60, wire 6I, upper contact 40, lower contact 39, arm 31 and wires' 62 and 63 to negativelead wire 50.

Under theseconditions the motor 4 rotates in a direction to rotate the lower feed roll 9 to feed bills to the machine and also the counter relay 60 is energized ,to4 maintain a counter relayswitch i6! open against the action of a spring 65, thereby maintaining the magnetically operated counter 66 in a die-energized condition.

` When a single bill is inserted between' the feed rolls the upper roll is forced upwardly to rock horizontally pivoted lever 28 downwardly a sufficient distance to open the normally closed upper contact members 38 and 46 but insufficiently to close thenormally open` lower contact members 43 and 44. The insertion of a single bill thus opens the circuit hereinbefore traced of the counter relay and permits the switch 64 to close under the action. of the spring 65. This completes a circuit for the magnetically operated counter mechanism, passing from positive lead Wire 46 through wires 59 and 61, switch 64, wire 46B, winding of magnetically actuated counter 6G and wire 63 to negative lead wire El! which ener gizes the counter and to register a single bill. As soon as the bill passes rearwardly from between thc feed rolls 9 and I6 the spring pressed plunger 32 (Fig. 3) swings the lever 28 upwardly and closes the upper contacts 39 and 40 thus reestablishing the circuit for the counter relay E0 .and opening the switch 64.

The insertion of a plurality of bills between the upper and lower feed rolls, results in the former roll being moved upwardly as during normal operation thus opening the upper contacts 39 and 4D, but the increased thickness of said bills moves the upper feed roll a greater distance, thereby obtaining an increased throw of the horizontally pivoted lever sufficiently to close the lower contact members 43 and 44. This closing of the lower contact members occurs as soon as the ends of a plurality of bills are inserted simultaneously between the feed rolls and brings into play the relay mechanism for reversing the motor.

When the lower contact members 43 and 44 are thus closed an electric circuit is estab-lished passing vfrom positive lead wire 46' (Fig. 4) through wires 5l, Sla, switch 52, winding of motor relay 59, Wire lll, lower contact 44, lower movable contact 43, arm 38 and wires 62 and 63 to negative lead wire 59. This energizes the motor relay 69 and causes it to open to dotted position the switch 52 and to close a switch 'H against the action of a spring 'l2 as indicated by dotted lines. The opening of switch 52 interrupts the circuit previously traced for the winding of armature 56 but re-cnergizes this winding by a current of reverse polarity which traverses a circuit passing from positive lead wire 46, wires 5l, 5in, switch 1I, wire 13, brush 14, winding of armature 56,brush 'l5 and wire T5 to negative lead wire 50. The reversal of the polarity of the winding of armature 56 reverses the direction of rotation of motor 4 to cause the lower feed roll 9 in turn to reverse its direction of rotation to immediately and forcibly eject the plurality of bills from the machine toward the operator.

As soon as the billsare thus ejected from the machine the upper roll I6 resumes its` normal position, thereby re-establishing the circuits hereinbefore described so as to again reverse the d1-A rection of rotation of motor 4 to that of normal operating conditions, i. e, motor and lower feed roll rotating in a direction to again feed bills between rolls 9 and I6. It will be noted that when a plurality of bills are introduced between the feedroll 9 and I6 as above described, the opening of the upper contacts 39 and 40 will actuate the magnetically operated counter 66 to register a single bill, notwithstanding the fact that no bill is introduced to the machine. To compensate for such undesired actuation the operator deposits one bill in the compartment behind the feed rolls and proceeds as before to feed the billsone at a time and as rapidly as desired to the feeding mechanism. The automatic rejection of two bills inadvertently inserted returns the switch contacts to normal position, i. e. upper switch closes and lower switch opens, which cle-energizes the motor relay with consequent reversal of polarity in the motor armature circuit, thus obtaining the consequent reversal of kthe motor to rotate the lower main feed roll of the shaft in the desired direction as under normal operatu ing conditions. The relay mechanism is capable of adjustmentto permit the insertion of the bills one immediately following another so that the operator does not have to purposely feed the bills at a moderate to prevent error. The adjustment of the electrically operated relay devices is such as to insure accurate actuation of the mechanism by the insertion of each bill no matter how fast said bills are fed to the machine.

In the 'illustrated and described embodiment of the invention a reversible D. C. motor has been used. It will be obvious however, that other motors which are capable of being reversed may be used with necessary variations in circuit wiring, without `departing from the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. Ina machine of the character desc1-ibcdthe combination of a bodily movable roll for feeding paper money to the machine, means for rotating said roll, and means actuated by the bodily movement of said roll caused by the insertion of a plurality of bills of paper money for reversing the direction of rotation of said roll to reject the said bills from the machine.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a bodily movable roll` for feeding bills to the machine, means for rotating said roll, and means actuated by the bodily movement of said roll when a plurality of bills are partially inserted, for reversing the direction of rotation of said roll rotating means to reject said bills from contact with said roll.

3, In a machine of the character described, the combination of a bodily movable roll for feeding bills to the machine, a. motor for rotating said roll, and` means actuated by the bodily movement of said rollcccasioned by the partial insertion of a plurality of bills, for reversing the direction of rotation of said motor and said roll to reject said bills from the machine.

4, In a machine of the character described the combination of a pair of radially spaced rolls for feeding bills to the machine, one of said rolls being bodily movable, a reversible motor for rotating one of said rolls, and electrical means actuated kby said movable roll upon the insertion of a plurality of bills for reversing the direction of rotation of said motor to obtain a reverse rotation of said roll to prevent the entry of said bills to the machine.

5. In a money Acounting machine, wherein an electrically operated counting device is combined with apair of rolls adapted to feed bills to be registered by said counting device, one of said rolls being bodilyv movable to actuate said counting device: the combination of an electric circuit, a reversible motor in said circuit for rotating one of said feeding rolls, andan electric relay device in said circuit adapted to be energized by the movement of said bodily movable roll for reversing the normal direction of rotation of said mo-

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