Abstract:
A method and apparatus for feeding a currency note into a currency processing machine. This note feeder includes a transporter for transporting notes from a note stack onto a processing belt inside the currency processing machine. The note feeder also includes a mediating transporter that takes the note from the transporter and feeds the note onto the processing belt. The note feeder also includes sensors for determining when the note has left a first feeding area and entered a second feeding area and to determine whether multiple notes have entered the second feeder section. The note feed also includes and a sensor that determines when the note has entered onto the processing belt. Based on information received from the sensors, the transporter starts and stops thus providing uniform spacing between notes. Also, based on information received from the sensors indicating the presence of multiple notes, a reversing or retarding transporter starts operation to prevent multiple notes from being fed onto the processing belt.

Description:
[0001]    This is a continuation-in-part of Application Ser. No. 09/484,309, filed Jan. 18, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Technical Field  
           [0003]    The present invention pertains in general to a document handling system and, more particularly, to a system of feeding notes into a high speed currency processing machine.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    After currency is distributed in the public sector, it will typically find its way back into the banking institutions. This is facilitated through individuals depositing currency documents in their local banking institutions, and businesses forwarding their cash receipts to the banking institutions. Once the banking institutions have received the currency in the form of the notes, these notes must then be processed. To facilitate the large number of notes that must be sorted, counted and then re-bundled or “strapped” for distribution back to the banks, large high speed currency processing machines have been developed.  
           [0006]    Currency processing machines, such as those developed and manufactured by Currency Systems International of Irving, Tex., typically have a feeder slot into which stacks of currency, sometimes in different denominations and even different sizes, can be placed. The currency processor will then individually strip the notes or documents from the feeder slot, pass them along a high speed conveyer past various sensing stations to determine the denomination, authenticity, and the quality or integrity of the note. Once this is done, then the currency processing machine will deposit each note processed in a collection bin associated with the proper denomination. Typically, a separate collection bin is provided for notes that are defective due to, for example, a tear or excessive wear, and another collection bin is provided for counterfeit notes. These processing machines can process notes at rates up to 2,400 notes per minute.  
           [0007]    A prior art currency note feeder for feeding currency into these sorting machines is depicted in FIG. 1. A shuttle  120  picks up a note  180  from the stack of notes  160  by creating a vacuum between the note  180  and the transporter  120 . The vacuum is created by a vacuum hose  130 . The shuttle  120  then physically moves laterally to move the note  180  onto a transport belt (not shown). Often times a second note  170  is picked by the shuttle  120  along with the note  180  of interest. A stationary vacuum  110  is situated down stream from the stack of notes  160 . The stationary vacuum  110  creates a vacuum on a side of the first note  180  opposite from the side of the first note  180  in contact with the shuttle  120 . This stationary vacuum  110  picks off any stray notes such as the note  170  that may be stuck to the note  180  of interest, thus insuring that only one note at a time is fed into the currency sorting machine.  
           [0008]    One problem encountered with present currency processing machines, such as depicted in FIG. 1, is that a batch of heavily soiled, worn, or torn notes requires more spacing between notes to adequately process the notes and to avoid jams in the currency processor. However, the current method and apparatus does not have any mechanism to adjust the spacing between notes such that such problems can be avoided. All that can be done with the present system is to increase or decrease the rate of notes processed, but this may not efficiently address the problems. Furthermore, current note feeders such as depicted in FIG. 1 are mechanical devices with coordinated vacuum and shuttle, which are hard to control with precision. It is not always possible to maintain the exact spacing with currently available note feeders nor is it possible to control the speed of note throughput or the spacing between notes in real time. Furthermore, the stationary vacuum  110  does not strip the second note  170  every time. Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a note feeder that maintains a constant note separation and that can adjust note separation and speed in real time based on occurrences within the currency sorting machine, thus avoiding the problems with the present system.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention provides a method and apparatus for feeding a currency note into a currency processing machine. The note feeder includes a transporter for transporting notes from a note stack onto a processing belt inside the currency processing machine. The note feeder also includes a mediating transporter that takes the note from the transporter and feeds the note onto the processing belt. The note feeder also includes sensors for determining when the note has left a first feeding area and entered a second feeding area and to determine whether multiple notes have entered the second feeder section. The note feed also includes and a sensor that determines when the note has entered onto the processing belt. Based on information received from the sensors, the transporter starts and stops thus providing uniform spacing between notes. Also, based on information received from the sensors indicating the presence of multiple notes, a reversing or retarding transporter starts operation to prevent multiple notes from being fed onto the processing belt.  
           [0010]    In a preferred embodiment, the transporter sits idle after the first note reaches the mediating transporter and restarts after the first note reaches the processing belt. In this manner, the spacing between consecutive notes is maintained at a constant distance. The transporter is also under the electronic control of the currency processing machine. If the currency processing machine determines that the spacing between successive notes needs to be adjusted because of a slow down in processing down stream, the transporter can be set to wait a predetermined time after the first note enters the processing belt before restarting and sending the next note. Thereby, the spacing between successive notes is adjusted. This control of the spacing between successive notes prevents jams in the currency processing machine which are not avoidable with the prior art where the transporter is purely mechanical and not under control of the currency processing machine. This adjustment of the spacing between successive notes takes place in real time. Furthermore, real time adjustment of the note speed is also provided.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of a prior art device for feeding currency notes into a currency processing machine;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a currency processing machine loaded with a stack of currency;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 depicts a schematic diagram of the currency note feeding apparatus according to the present invention; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 illustrates the spacing between successive notes through the currency processing machine.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 shows a currency processing machine  210  embodying the present invention and loaded with a batch feed of currency  212  prior to starting the currency processing cycle. This batch feed of currency  212  is fed into the currency processing machine one single note at a time. Single notes then travel on a conveyer past several different detectors before being deposited in one of the sort bins  214 . Typically, a single sort bin is used to accumulate a single denomination of note at the end of the sort process.  
         [0017]    Turning now to FIG. 3, a schematic diagram of a currently preferred embodiment of a currency note feeder  300  for feeding notes into a currency processing machine, such as the currency processing machine  210  illustrated in FIG. 2, is depicted. A belt drive  350  has three belt drive rollers  361 ,  363 ,  365  preferably arranged in a triangular pattern as shown in FIG. 3. Each belt drive roller  361 ,  363 ,  365  is preferably ½ of an inch in diameter and is preferably constructed of rubber. A feeder belt  370  is wrapped around the circumference of the three belt drive rollers  361 ,  363 ,  365 . The feeder belt  370  is thus shaped into a triangular shape. Preferably, the feeder belt  370  forms an isosceles triangle with the base  371  coming into frictional contact with the uppermost note  305  in a stack of notes  307 . The feeder belt base  371  is preferably approximately 10 inches long with the total feeder belt  371  circumference preferably approximately 12 to 15 inches long. The feeder belt  370  is preferably constructed from a carbon based rubber with a fiber weave in the middle which is standard in the industry and well known to one skilled in the art. Furthermore, the feeder belt  370  is preferably 4 inches in width across the surface that contacts the first note  305 .  
         [0018]    The belt drive rollers  361 ,  363 ,  365  are connected to belt drive motors (not shown) that, when in operation, produce a torque on the belt drive rollers  361 ,  363 ,  365  thereby rotating belt the drive rollers  361 ,  363 ,  365  in a clockwise direction about their axes as viewed in FIG. 3. The rotation of the belt drive rollers  361 ,  363 ,  365  in turn propels the feeder belt  370  to also move in a clockwise direction. Because the feeder belt  370  is in frictional contact with the first note  305 , the movement of the feeder belt  370  causes the first note  305  to be propelled to the left as the first note  305  is viewed in FIG. 3. The belt drive motors must be capable of producing varying amounts of torque in response to signals sent by the currency processing machine. By varying the amount of torque delivered by the belt drive motors, the speed of rotation of the belt drive rollers  361 ,  363 ,  365  can be adjusted thereby adjusting the speed of notes through the currency processing machine.  
         [0019]    A first sensor  340  consisting of a light source  341  and a light detector  342  is located next to the stack of notes  307 . As the first note  305  moves to the left, the first sensor  340  detects that the first note  305  has moved out of the first feeding area  380  and into the second feeding area  390  and determines, based on the intensity of light transmitted from the light source  341  to the light detector  342 , the density of the notes entering the second feeder area  390 . If, based on the intensity of transmitted light that a single note has entered the second feeder area  390 , then the reversing roller  330  remains inactive. Thus, single notes are transmitted rapidly into the second feeder area  390  without the retarding effect of the reverse roller  330  slowing the feeding process down.  
         [0020]    However, if, and only if, the first sensor  390  determines that more than one note has entered the second feeder area, then signals are sent to activate the reverse roller  330  to prevent the continued entry of the excessive number of notes into the second feeder area  390 , thereby allowing only the first note  305  into the second feeder area.  
         [0021]    The reverse roller  330  is positioned away from the sensor  340  in a first direction  395 , which is the direction of the note movement. The reverse roller  330  is also positioned in such a way as to make frictional contact with a second note  306 , which is a note that has been moved inadvertently along with the first note  305  due to frictional contact between the first note  305  and the second note  306 . The reverse roller  330  rotates in a direction such that it tends to move any note it is in contact with back toward the note stack  307  or at least tends to retard the motion of the note contacted by the reverse roller  330 . Thus the note contacted by the reverse roller  330  is not fed into the transport rollers  310 ,  320  along with the first note  305 . However, if only one note is being moved by the belt drive  350 , the force exerted by the feeder belt  370  tending to propel the first note  305  in the first direction  395  is greater than the reversing force exerted on the first note  305  by the reverse roller  330 . Therefore, the first note  305  will continue to be propelled in the first direction  395 . This is because there is greater contacted surface area between the feeder belt  370  and first note  305  than there is between the reverse roller  330  and the first note  305 . Also, the first note  305  will continue to be propelled in the first direction  395  because the feeder belt  370  is being driven by three belt motors each producing as much or more torque than the reverse motor (not shown) driving the reverse roller  330 .  
         [0022]    As the first note  305  continues, it comes in contact with the transport rollers  310 ,  320 . The transport rollers  310 ,  320  are each connected to a transport motor (not shown). Each transport motor applies torque to the axis of its respective transport roller  310 ,  320  causing the transport rollers  310 ,  320  to rotate in a direction that tends to propel the first note  305  along the first direction  395 . The transport rollers  310 ,  320  are positioned such that the first transport roller  310  contacts the opposite side of the first note  305  from that contacted by the second transport roller  320 . The transport rollers  310 ,  320  rotate in opposite directions so that the resulting force propels the first note  305  in the first direction  395 . As viewed in FIG. 3, the first transport roller  310  rotates in a clockwise direction and the second transport roller  320  rotates in a counterclockwise direction. The transport rollers  310 ,  320  are in continuous rotation during the operation of the currency processing machine.  
         [0023]    A second sensor  344  is positioned linearly away from the transport rollers  310 ,  320  in the first direction  395 . When the second sensor  344  first detects the presence of the first note  305  at the linear location marked by the second sensor  344 , the reverse roller  330  and the belt drive  350  cease to move. Since the movement of the first note  305  is now controlled by the transport rollers  310 ,  320 , the reverse roller  330  and the belt drive  350  are not needed. Also, since the second note  306  has been prevented from making contact with the transport rollers  310 ,  320  by the reverse roller  330 , there is no danger of the second note  306  being pulled into the rest of the currency processing machine along with the first not  305 .  
         [0024]    When the first sensor  342  detects that the first note  305  has cleared the feeder area  390 , the belt drive  350  is started in motion again and the second note  306  is fed into the currency sorting machine in the same manner as the first note  305 . In this way a constant spacing  410  between the leading edges of successive notes  420  is maintained as is illustrated in FIG. 4. However, if for some reason the currency sorting machine needs the leading edge to leading edge note spacing  410  to be adjusted to a greater distance, perhaps because the notes are excessively soiled or torn causing sorting to be slowed, then the starting of the belt drive  350  can be delayed for a specified period following receipt of the signal that the previous note has cleared the feeder area  390 . Such specified period will be determined by the currency sorting machine. However, once a new spacing  410  has been determined, the note feeder  300  maintains this spacing until the currency processing machine determines that a new spacing  410  is required. Thus a constant spacing is maintained between spacing readjustments by the currency processing machine. It should also be noted that the currency processing machine could adjust the spacing  410  to be closer together if, for example, it determines that the current group of notes being are less soiled and damaged than the previous group of notes.  
         [0025]    By allowing the spacing  410  between successive notes to be adjusted, depending on the quality of notes being processed as determined by the currency sorting machine, greater throughput is achieved without jams, which occur if notes are spaced to closely together. However, once the new spacing is determined, the new spacing between successive notes is consistently maintained until the currency sorting machine determines that the spacing should be readjusted.  
         [0026]    The presently described invention is capable of providing notes to the currency sorting machine at whatever speed is required by the currency sorting machine because the motors controlling the belt drive rollers  361 ,  363 ,  365  are under the electronic control of the currency processing machine. Current currency sorting machines typically process notes in the range of 300 to 2400 notes per minute. For example, if the internal conveyer speed of the currency sorting machine is 600 notes per minute, then the speed of the belt  370  is 100 inches per second. Thus, if the diameter of the belt drive rollers  361 ,  363 ,  365  is ½ inch, then the belt drive rollers  361 ,  363 ,  365  must rotate at an angular speed of around  30  radians per second. As another example, if the internal conveyer speed of the currency sorting machine is 1200 notes per minute, then the speed of the belt  370  is 200 inches per second. As a final example, if the internal conveyer speed of the currency sorting machine is 2400 notes per minute, then the speed of the belt  370  is 400 inches per second.  
         [0027]    It should be noted that the first sensor  340  comprises a light source  341  and a light detector  342  that are calibrated for each type of note or document fed to be used in the currency processing machine. Preferably, a running average, for example, for the previous eight notes, of note density is maintained and the detector  342  is occasionally, perhaps periodically, recalibrated to adjust for an increase or decrease in the quality of notes. For example, the notes may be increasingly soiled and thus allow less light to pass than less soiled notes. Therefore, recalibrating the detector  342  during operation prevents the reversing roller  330  from being engaged unnecessarily. Thus, the intensity of light that should be transmitted through a particular type of note and soil condition is known and any diminution in the intensity of the transmitted light in excess of a certain range, set to accommodate a certain amount of error, indicates the presence of more than a single note.  
         [0028]    Thus, for example, if the intensity of transmitted light through a single note is determined to be 50% of the value of the emitted light from the light source  341 , then a measurement of 25% transmission indicates that more than a single note is present and that the reverse roller  330  should be activated to prevent or retard the movement of the excess notes into the second feeder section  390 . Conversely, if the measures intensity is 48%, such a measurement might be within the tolerance level for a single note and therefore, the reversing roller  330  would not be engaged.  
         [0029]    The presently described invention provides for real time adjustment of the spacing between successive notes and for real time adjustment of the speed of notes fed into the currency processing machine. This is because the motors controlling the speed of rotation of the belt drive rollers  361 ,  363 ,  365  are under the electronic control of the currency processing machine and may be finely adjusted. For example, if the currency processing machine determines that the optimal speed is 1363 notes per minute and the optimal note spacing to be 10.23 inches, the note feeder can be adjusted to meet this optimal state.  
         [0030]    The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not limited to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention the practical application to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated