WO1997031342A1

WO1997031342A1 - Sheet store handling apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1997031342A1
Application number: PCT/GB1997/000523
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steven Michael Hosking
Original assignee: De La Rue International Limited
Priority date: 1996-02-26
Filing date: 1997-02-25
Publication date: 1997-08-28
Also published as: GB9603999D0; AU1888497A

Abstract

Sheet store handling apparatus comprises a sheet store housing (1) into which a sheet store (2) having an aperture can be inserted. A sheet store closure member control device (35) cooperates with a sheet store (2) in the sheet store housing to open and close a closure member (8) of the sheet store. Optionally, a closure member lock mechanism release mechanism (20, 21) is provided for releasing a closure member lock mechanism (14, 15) of a sheet store only when the sheet store is fully inserted in the sheet store housing to enable the closure member to be opened and closed by the sheet store closure member control device. A control system (20) is provided for causing the closure member control device to close the closure member (7), under predetermined conditions, while the store is fully located in the store housing, to prevent unauthorised access to the sheets in the sheet store through the aperture.

Description

SHEET STORE HANDLING APPARATUS

The invention relates to sheet store handling apparatus, for example for use with a sheet transport for transporting sheets such as banknotes to and/or from a sheet store mounted in a sheet store housing.

It has been known for a number of years to provide sheet stores, such as banknote cassettes, which have a shutter which is opened and closed as the sheet store is pushed into or removed from a sheet store housing respectively. An example is described in EP-A-0263680. Other examples of banknote cassettes are described in GB-A- 2136498 and EP-A-0004436. EP-A-0269731 illustrates a cassette which can only be opened once it is fully located in the housing.

Sheet stores of this type have in the main been used in sheet transporting mechanisms, contained in suitable configured secure containers sited generally in secure environments such as bank or building society premises, and have generally been serviced, removed and/or replaced by employees of the organisation using the premises concerned. There has, however, been a significant increase within the organisations on whose premises the transport mechanisms are sited to be non-banking or less secure organisations, e.g. retail or other commercial sites, and/or an increase in use of non-banking agencies for servicing the mechanisms and/or the cassettes within the mechanisms. With these changes an increase in the loss of currency from the cassettes/mechanisms has occurred. In accordance with the present invention, sheet store handling apparatus comprises a sheet store housing into which a sheet store having an aperture can be inserted; a sheet store closure member control device cooperating with a sheet store in the sheet store housing to cause a closure member of the sheet store to open and close the aperture; and a control system for causing the closure member control device to close the closure member, under predetermined conditions, while the store is fully located in the store housing, to prevent unauthorised access to the sheets in the sheet store through the aperture.

We have recognised that one of the reasons why there has been loss of currency from cassette mechanisms is due to unauthorised access to the apparatus while the sheet store is in situ. This access can be achieved typically through an access door of an enclosure such as a safe in which the sheet transport apparatus is located. Such access may be authorised for the purposes of maintenance but may also be unauthorised. In the past, once the store has been located in the store housing, the aperture remains open until the store is removed. Anyone gaining access to the transport apparatus while the store is in situ can therefore attempt to extract sheets such as banknotes from the store through the aperture. The present invention, however, overcomes this problem by providing a control system which can cause the closure member to close while the store is fully located in the store housing so as to prevent unauthorised access.

In the case of a "one-shot" store, once the closure member has been closed once, it can no longer be reopened. The store would then need to be withdrawn from the store housing and reprimed using a key or the like. Such a store is described, for example, in EP-A-0263680. Other stores, however, enable the closure member to be opened and closed repeatedly.

In some cases, the control system can detect when the sheet store is fully located in the sheet store housing and thereupon cause the closure member to open. In other arrangements, the control system responds to an active condition of the apparatus by causing the sheet store closure member control device to open the closure member. The active condition could correspond to a condition during which the apparatus will dispense (or accept) sheets from the store in response to a number of requests or could correspond to each dispense (or accept) operation. Thus, in this latter case, between dispense (or accept) operations, the control system will cause the sheet store closure member to close. Of course, this is only possible with the use of a sheet store which is not of the one-shot type. This also ensures that in periods between dispense (or accept) operations when the sheet transport mechanism is idle, it is not possible to extract sheets through the aperture.

In addition, or alternatively, where the sheet store handling apparatus includes a secure enclosure within which the sheet store housing and transport mechanism are located, the apparatus may further comprise a sensor for sensing an attempt to gain access to the interior of the enclosure, the control system being responsive to the sensor to cause the sheet store closure member control device to close the closure member. In this case, the control system detects an attempt to gain access whether or not authorised and causes the closure member to close. The sensor could, for example, detect the opening of an access door of the enclosure or detect the proximity of an object to the sheet store.

In some cases, the sheet store closure member control device is formed by mechanical linkages or individually controlled actuation devices or assemblies suitably sited within the sheet store housing and including a motor mounted in the store housing to open the shutter and then, or at the same time, move the transport mechanism into the feed position. Preferably, however, the sheet store closure member control device is movably mounted relative to the sheet store housing such that on movement of the sheet store closure member control device towards and away from the sheet store housing the closure member is opened and closed respectively.

In an important application, the sheet store handling apparatus is provided in association with a transport mechanism for extracting sheets from and/or inserting sheets into the sheet store through the aperture formed when the sheet store closure member is open. Conveniently, in this case, the transport mechanism is movable with the sheet store shutter control device. This enables the transport mechanism to be moved into contact with sheets in the store and significantly improves the security of the arrangement since when the closure member is open the transport mechanism will be positioned in its operative location for extracting and/or inserting sheets and this makes it very difficult manually to gain access to the sheets in the sheet store. On the other hand, when the transport mechanism is retracted, then the closure member will close.

It should be understood, however, that the sheet store closure member control device can also be separate from the transport mechanism for separate actuation. For example, the transport mechanism could be biased towards the sheet store so that when the closure member is open, the transport mechanism engages the leading sheet in the sheet store under the bias and is pushed away from the sheet store upon closure of the closure member. Separately, the sheet store closure member control device can be actuated by the control system to open and close the closure member.

Typically, the sheet store closure member control device will comprise one or more probes. Such probes are described, for example, in EP-A-0263680 and mechanically engage a closure member drive mechanism in the sheet store to open and close the closure member.

The sheet store housing may be provided with suitable locking devices for securing the sheet store in the sheet store housing and these could be independent of the other parts of the transport apparatus. However, in a preferred arrangement, the sheet store housing includes a lock member (such as a recess) for cooperating with the closure member lock mechanism of a sheet store when the sheet store is fully located in the sheet store housing, to lock the sheet store in the sheet store housing. This provides a particularly convenient and secure way of ensuring that a sheet store is locked in the sheet store housing before the closure member drive mechanism can be operated. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises closure member lock mechanism release means for releasing a closure member lock mechanism of a sheet store, only when the sheet store is fully inserted in the sheet store housing, to enable the closure member to be opened and closed by the sheet store closure member control device. This enables the apparatus to be used with sheet stores whose closure member is locked in the closed position by a lock mechanism. The closure member lock mechanism release means may be manually operable but is conveniently operated by the control system which is responsive to input signals indicating at least that the sheet store is fully inserted in the sheet store housing to generate a closure member lock release signal.

A sheet store for use with sheet store handling apparatus according to the present invention may include a closure member movable between open and closed positions by a closure member drive mechanism responsive to activation of the sheet store closure member control device; and optionally a closure member lock mechanism movable between a locked position preventing opening movement of the closure member and a released position allowing opening movement.

The closure member may comprise a single member or shutter or be made up of a number of subsidiary members as will be described below.

Conveniently, the closure member lock mechanism comprises a pin (or other mechanical device) which, in the locked position, engages the closure member drive mechanism to prevent its operation. Most conveniently, the pin is solenoid controlled although other forms of mechanical control are envisaged. Preferably, in the release position of the closure member lock mechanism, the pin, or other mechanical device which may be activated by a pin, projects outside the sheet store to cooperate with a lock member of the sheet store housing. This enables the pin to lock the sheet store in the housing leading to a very secure arrangement, the locking action being automatic as the pin moves to release the closure member drive mechanism.

The invention is applicable to a wide variety of sheet transport apparatus but is particularly applicable to apparatus for handling documents of value such as banknotes. In particular, the apparatus could comprise one or both of a cash dispenser and cash acceptor.

An example of sheet transport apparatus according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a cassette (with its side wall omitted) and transport mechanism with the cassette fully inserted in a housing but the transport mechanism retracted;

Figure 2_. is a side view of the cassette and transport mechanism of Figure 1 but with the transport mechanism in its advanced position; and,

Figure 3 is a schematic, perspective view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 but with several parts, including the chassis, omitted for clarity.

The apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a chassis 1 into which a sheet store or cassette 2 can be removably inserted. The cassette 2, when inserted, is positioned adjacent a sheet transport mechanism 3 including a housing 4 also mounted on the chassis 1 (by means not shown) and connected to a lead screw 5 via a screw threaded connector 60. The lead screw 5 can be rotated by a motor 6 to move the sheet transport mechanism 3 from its retracted position shown in Figures 1 and 3 to its advanced position shown in Figure 2. Other means (not shown) for moving the mechanism 3 can be used instead of the lead screw 5.

The cassette 2 has a generally conventional form and may comprise a one-shot cassette as described in more detail in EP-A-0263680 incorporated herein by reference, or a multi-shot cassette. The cassette 2 has an upper shutter or closure member 7 and a slidably mounted front shutter or closure member 8. The shutter 7 is slidably mounted to a lid 30 of the cassette 2 (Figure 3) , the lid 30 being hinged at 31 to a body part 32 to which it is releasably locked in known manner by a key operated lock (not shown) . The shutter 8 has a pair of racks 9 on each side cooperating with a pair of pinions 10 (only one being shown in Figures 1 and 2) . The pinion 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is non-rotatably connected to a gear 11 having teeth which mesh with a rack 12 slidably mounted for horizontal movement at one side of the cassette 2. The rack 12 has an indent 13 which in the position shown in Figure 1 is aligned with a pin 14 whose vertical position is controlled by a solenoid 15. The pin 14 is urged under spring action towards the position shown in Figure 1 so as to prevent the rack 12 from moving and thus the shutters 7,8 are held in their closed positions with the shutter 8 extending into a slot 16 on the underside of the shutter 7. The cassette 2 is located in the chassis 1 by a pair of "dog bones" 17 on either side of the cassette (omitted in Figure 2) which cooperate with respective adjacent locators (not shown) on the chassis walls when the cassette 2 is fully located in the chassis. A sensor 18 (Figure 1) is mounted to the chassis 1 to detect the leading end 19 of the cassette 2. When this is sensed a suitable signal is sent by the sensor 18 to a control microprocessor 20.

The microprocessor 20 is also connected to an electrical connector 21 mounted on the chassis l and projecting into the path of a cooperating electrical connector 22 mounted on the cassette 2 and coupled to the solenoid 15. When the cassette 2 is fully located in the chassis l, the connectors 21/22 will also be fully connected. In this way, the control microprocessor 20 can control operation of the solenoid 15. The sheet transport mechanism 3 includes a set of pairs of pulleys 23-25 non-rotatably mounted on respective shafts 26-28, the shafts extending between side plates 29 of the housing 4. The pulleys 25 and shaft 29 have been omitted from Figure 3. The shafts are driven by a main transport motor 34 mounted to one of the side plates 29 and connected to the shafts via a gear system (not shown) mounted adjacent the motor 34 so that all the pulleys 23-25 rotate in the same sense. Mounted to the housing 4 is also a pair of probes 35 and a pair of pads 36. The chassis 1 together with the control microprocessor 20 is mounted within a secure enclosure 40 having a first access door 41 hinged at 42 to enable the cassette 2 to be loaded into the housing 1; and a second access door 43 hinged at 44 to enable access to the transport mechanism 3. Each door 41,43 can be locked in its closed position by means not shown while the doors 43 and 41 each carry a sensor 45,45' which cooperates with a light source 46,46' when the doors are closed. The sensors 45,45' are connected to the microprocessor 20. When either or both of the doors 43,41 are opened, the lack of light from the light source 46 is detected by the sensor 45 and an appropriate signal is passed to the microprocessor 20.

The enclosure 40 has an access opening 47 through which sheets are dispensed. The sheets are passed from the transport mechanism 3 between a pair of belts 48,49 entrained around rollers 50, the rollers being mounted on shafts one of which is driven by a motor (not shown) controlled from the microprocessor 20 via a control line 51. A key pad 52 is mounted on the external surface of the enclosure 40 to enable a user to indicate the number of sheets or banknotes which are to be dispensed, the key pad being connected to the microprocessor 20.

In use, a cassette 2 is loaded with banknotes to be dispensed and, with the shutters 7,8 closed and the lid 30 locked to the body part 32, the cassette 2 is mounted into the chassis 1 until the dog bones 17 are locked in position. At this point, the sensor 18 will detect the leading end 19 of the cassette 2 and signal this to the control microprocessor 20. It will be noted, however, as can be seen in Figure 1, that both shutters 7,8 remain closed. The door 41 is closed and locked. Once the control microprocessor 20 has received confirmatory signals from the sensors 45,45' indicating the doors 43,41 are shut and also from other sensors (not shown) indicating that the apparatus is ready for operation, it will generate a release signal which is passed via the connectors 21,22 to the solenoid 15 which is activated to withdraw the pin 14 from the indent 13 against the spring action. Withdrawal of the pin 14 releases the rack 12 and at the same time the other end of the pin engages into an indent 53 (Figure 2) in the chassis 1 locking the cassette 2 in the chassis 1.

At this stage, there are various different modes in which the apparatus could operate. In a first mode, which is particularly suitable where the cassette 2 is of the one-shot type, the control microprocessor 20 generates an activation signal to the motor 6 which rotates the lead screw 5. Rotation of the lead screw 5 causes the sheet transport housing 4 to move to the right. This movement causes the probes 35 to enter corresponding slots 54 in the leading end 19 of the cassette 2. The probe 35 shown in Figure 1 engages the rack 12 and starts to push the rack to the right against the resilience of a compression spring 56. This movement causes anti-clockwise rotation of the pinion 10 which draws the shutter 8 downwards. This downward movement of the shutter 8 not only opens an aperture in the front of the cassette but also releases the shutter 7. As the housing 4 continues to move, the shutter 7 will be engaged by the pads 36 and begin to be slid to the right against the resilience of another compression spring 57 mounted in the lid 30. This movement continues until the sheet transport housing 4 is in its fully active position as shown in Figure 2. It will be seen that in this position the sheet transport housing 4 has partially entered the cassette so that the pulley 23 will engage the leading sheet in the cassette in a conventional manner. Furthermore, the pulleys 25 are aligned with the nip at the leading end of the pair of belts 48,49. At this stage, sheets can be withdrawn from the cassette 2 as appropriate by suitably rotating the pulleys 23-25 and belts 48,49.

In a typical operation, therefore, a user will indicate to the microprocessor 20 via the key pad 52 an amount of money which is to be dispensed and the microprocessor 20 will determine how many notes from the cassette 2 this corresponds to. The microprocessor 20 will then activate the motor 34 and the motor driving the belts 48,49 for sufficient time to enable the appropriate number of notes to be withdrawn from the store 2 and fed to the outlet 47. The two motors are not driven in synchronism so that as soon as the last note to be dispensed has been withdrawn from the cassette 2, the motor 34 is stopped while the other motor will continue to rotate the belts 48,48 to feed the last note(s) to the aperture 47. The apparatus then remains in this active condition with the aperture open, ready for the next dispense operation.

In a second mode, the microprocessor 20 does not cause movement of the sheet transport mechanism 3 towards the cassette 2 until a dispense operation is to be initiated. Once a dispense operation is requested, the microprocessor 20 will then move the transport mechanism 3 to the position shown in Figure 2 by operating the motor 6 and dispense the notes required as previously described. At the end of the dispense operation, the transport mechanism 3 will be retracted by the microprocessor 20 suitably controlling the motor 6 and the shutters 7,8 will close. In this way, access to the notes in the cassette 2 is only possible during a dispense operation and access by a person will be virtually impossible since during the dispense operation the transport mechanism 3 will physically prevent access as shown in Figure 2. In this mode of operation, the cassette 2 must be of the multi-shot type allowing the shutters 7,8 repeatedly to be closed and opened.

If the microprocessor 20 determines from the sensors 45,45' that either of the doors 43,41 has been opened, it will immediately activate the motor 6, if necessary, to withdraw the transport mechanism 3 so that the shutters 7,8 will close. Again, this will prevent a maintenance engineer or other person gaining access through either of the doors 43,41 from accessing notes through the aperture in the cassette.

When a cassette is to be removed from the chassis 1, the pin 14 must be released from the indent 53. This is achieved under the control of the microprocessor 20 which first causes the motor 6 to rotate the lead screw 5 in a direction to retract the sheet transport housing 4 to the position shown in Figure 1. This retraction causes the shutter 7 to return to its closed position under the influence of the compression spring 57 and at the same time the rack 12 is moved to the left under the influence of the compression spring 56 until the indent 13 is aligned with the pin 14. The control microprocessor 20 then causes the solenoid 15 to return the pin 14 to the position shown in

Figure 1 where the rack 12 is locked. This movement releases the cassette 2 from the chassis 1 so that the cassette can be removed.

The apparatus described is for dispensing sheets. The invention is equally applicable to sheet accepting apparatus and to apparatus capable of accepting and dispensing sheets. It should be understood that although only a single transport mechanism 4 and cassette 2 mounted in the chassis 1 have been described, the chassis 1 could be constructed to contain a number of transports 4 and cassette 2 combinations, either situated one above the other in a vertical arrangement or adjacent each other in a horizontal arrangement, mounted in a single enclosure 40. In these constructions, sheets being fed from or fed to each of the cassettes 2 would be transported by a common transport arrangement connecting the access opening 47 in the enclosure 40 with each of the sheet feeding arrangements at the cassettes.

Claims

1. Sheet store handling apparatus comprising a sheet store housing into which a sheet store having an aperture can be inserted; a sheet store closure member control device cooperating with a sheet store in the sheet store housing to cause a closure member of the sheet store to open and close the aperture; and a control system for causing the closure member control device to close the closure member, under predetermined conditions, while the store is fully located in the store housing, to prevent unauthorised access to the sheets in the sheet store through the aperture.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet store closure member control device is movably mounted relative to the sheet store housing such that on movement of the sheet store closure member control device towards and away from the sheet store housing the closure member is opened and closed respectively.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sheet store closure member control device comprises one or more probes.

4. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising a secure enclosure within which the sheet store housing and transport mechanism are located; and a sensor for sensing an attempt to gain access to the interior of the enclosure, the control system being responsive to the sensor to cause the sheet store closure member control device to close the closure member.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the enclosure includes an access door, the sensor detecting opening of the access door.

6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control system responds to an active condition of the apparatus by causing the sheet store closure member control device to open the closure member.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the active condition occurs during a dispense and/or accept operation.

8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising closure member lock mechanism release means for releasing a closure member lock mechanism of a sheet store, only when the sheet store is fully inserted in the sheet store housing, to enable the closure member to be opened and closed by the sheet store closure member control device.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the sheet store housing includes a lock member for cooperating with the closure member lock mechanism of a sheet store in the sheet housing when in its released state, to lock the sheet store in the sheet store housing.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the lock member comprises a recess.

11. Sheet transport apparatus comprising sheet store handling apparatus according to any of the preceding claims; and a transport mechanism for extracting sheets from and/or inserting sheets into the sheet store through the aperture formed when the sheet store closure member is open.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, when dependent on claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the transport mechanism is movable with the sheet store closure member control device.

13. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims adapted to feed banknotes.

14. Sheet transport apparatus according to any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the transport mechanism is adapted to dispense sheets from a sheet store in the sheet store housing.

15. Sheet transport apparatus according to any of claims 11 to 14, wherein the transport mechanism is adapted to feed sheets to a sheet store in the sheet store housing.