Patent ID: 9296573
Filing Date: 2016-03-29
CPC Classification: B65H,G07F

Claim Text:
1. A method of feeding currency bills in a currency processing device, the currency processing device including an input receptacle, a feeder mechanism, a first paddle rail, a second paddle rail, a first paddle assembly, a second paddle assembly, a first resilient member, and a second resilient member, the input receptacle having a first side and a second opposing side, a front end and an opposing back end, and a floor, the feeder mechanism being disposed adjacent the front end of the input receptacle and being configured to transfer currency bills from the input receptacle, the first paddle rail being disposed adjacent to the first side of the input receptacle, the second paddle rail being disposed adjacent to the second side of the input receptacle, the first paddle assembly being pivotally and slidably coupled to the first paddle rail, the second paddle assembly being pivotally and slidably coupled to the second paddle rail, the first resilient member being coupled to the first paddle assembly and being configured to bias the first paddle assembly towards the front end of the input receptacle, the second resilient member being coupled to the second paddle assembly and being configured to bias the second paddle assembly towards the front end of the input receptacle, the method comprising the acts of: positioning a tray between the front end and the back end of the input receptacle, the tray being preloaded with a plurality of currency bills therein, the tray having a bottom, two opposing lateral sides, and a back side and an opposing front side, the front and back sides of the tray being generally perpendicular to the two opposing lateral sides of the tray, the front side of the tray being movable between a closed position and an open position, the tray being positioned within the input receptacle such that the two opposing lateral sides of the tray are generally parallel with the two opposing sides of the input receptacle; pivoting the first paddle assembly with respect to the first paddle rail such that a first paddle of the first paddle assembly is in an upward position; with the first paddle in the upward position, sliding the first paddle assembly with respect to the first paddle rail towards the back end of the input receptacle; pivoting the first paddle assembly with respect to the first paddle rail such that the first paddle of the first paddle assembly is in an operational position and is positioned at least partially within the tray; engaging the plurality of currency bills in the tray with a front side of the first paddle of the first paddle assembly such that the front side of the first paddle abuts the one of the currency bills in the tray that is closest to the back end of the input receptacle; and moving the front side of the tray from the closed position to the open position, wherein in response to the moving the front side of the tray, the first paddle of the first paddle assembly urges the currency bills in the tray in a feed direction towards the front end of the input receptacle such that the one of the currency bills in the tray that is closest to the front end of the input receptacle is moved out of the tray and engages the feeder mechanism.