Apparatus for packaging sheet material

An apparatus is arranged for packaging sheet material, in particular banknotes, vouchers, checks, separation cards, etc., with a packaging device, packaging material dispensed from a roll for packaging the sheet material, and a control device controlling the apparatus. A monitoring device is provided for the packaging material, and the control device evaluates a signal of the monitoring device during the packaging of sheet material, in order to derive therefrom whether packaging material is present on the roll.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to an apparatus for packaging sheet material, in particular banknotes, vouchers, checks, separation cards, etc.

In the processing of banknotes with banknote processing machines, banknotes to be processed are inserted in an input pocket of a singler, so that the banknotes can be grasped individually by the singler. The individual banknotes are subsequently processed in the banknote processing machine. For this purpose, the properties of the banknotes are ascertained by sensors, for example their type, i.e. denomination and currency, their authenticity, their state, i.e. their soiling, damages, etc., their fitness for further circulation, their position and orientation, etc. Depending on the ascertained properties, the further processing of the banknotes is affected, for example these are sorted into certain output pockets in accordance with the ascertained properties, in order to form stacks of banknotes. For example, stacks of 100 banknotes can be formed, which are subsequently banded automatically. For this purpose, a loop of paper or of a different material, such as a plastic foil, is placed around the stack of 100 banknotes and a packet is formed. Further, it can be provided to automatically stack several of the packets containing 100 banknotes to form parcels containing 500 or 1,000 banknotes. Parcels formed in this manner can in turn be packaged automatically, for which purpose, for example, a foil material such as a plastic foil, in particular a shrink foil, can be employed.

The above-described banding and packaging of banknotes and corresponding apparatus are known. For example, in DE 10225705 A1 the banding of banknotes is described, and in DE 10200916976 A1, the packaging of banknotes is described.

In the following, the term packaging will be employed for any banding, packaging or other enveloping or wrapping of banknotes, as long as a consumable material stored on a roll, for example paper, plastic foil or foil-type packaging material composed of different materials, is employed for this packaging.

In the operation of the known apparatus for the packaging of banknotes it has been found that processing errors occur if the packaging material employed for the packaging has run out. In this case, a packaging currently carried out cannot be carried out or cannot be carried out completely. This can have the consequence that complex manual re-processing becomes necessary, since the stacked banknotes to be packaged cannot be processed in the provided, automated workflow.

SUMMARY

Proceeding from this state of the art, it is the object of the invention to state an apparatus for the packaging of banknotes in which it can be determined that the packaging material necessary for the packaging of the banknotes is present.

The accomplishment of this object results from the features of claim1. Further developments are the subject matter of the sub-claims.

The invention proceeds from an apparatus for packaging sheet material, in particular banknotes, vouchers, checks, separation cards, etc., with a packaging device, packaging material dispensed from a roll for the packaging of the sheet material, and a control device controlling the apparatus, wherein a monitoring device for the packaging material is provided, and the control device evaluates a signal of the monitoring device during the packaging of sheet material, in order to derive therefrom whether packaging material is present on the roll.

The advantage of the solution according to the invention is that it can be recognized by the monitoring of the packaging material during the packaging of the sheet material that packaging material required for the packaging is present. It is thus achieved that the packaging of the sheet material can be carried out.

In one embodiment it is provided that the monitoring device is formed by a rotary encoder.

The advantage of the embodiment is that by the monitoring of the rotation of the roll with the packaging material during the packaging of the sheet material, it can be recognized that packaging material required for the packaging is present. It can thus be ensured that the packaging of the sheet material can be carried out.

In further embodiments it is provided that the control device ascertains from the signal of the rotary encoder the rotational speed or a change in the rotational speed of the roll, and further ascertains from the ascertained rotational speed or the change in the rotational speed of the roll how much packaging material is present on the roll.

In further embodiments it is provided that the control device ascertains from the signal of the rotary encoder the number of revolution of the roll per packaging process and further ascertains from the ascertained number of revolutions of the roll per packaging process how much packaging material is present on the roll.

The advantage of the further embodiment is that the control device can ascertain from the ascertained rotational speed or from the ascertained change in the rotational speed of the roll or the ascertained number of revolutions of the roll per packaging process how much packaging material is still present on the roll. This permits giving an indication to an operator so that a timely exchange of the roll with the packaging material can be effected, or at least can be prepared in timely manner. It can be prevented thereby that a failure of the apparatus for packaging sheet material occurs, since the stock of the packaging material stored on the roll has been used up during a packaging process, so that the packaging process cannot be concluded.

Further embodiments and advantages of the invention will hereinafter be explained with reference to the figures and their description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

FIGS.1a-cshows an embodiment of an apparatus for packaging sheet material. As explained at the outset, the term packaging is to be employed for any banding, packaging or other complete or partial enveloping or wrapping of sheet material, as long as a consumable material, for example paper, foil, plastic foil, in particular shrink foil, or foil-type packaging material composed of different materials, is employed for this packaging.

The apparatus has a deposit means11on which a stack of sheet material BN provided for packaging is disposed (FIG.1a). The deposit means11can be formed, for example, by the output pocket of a banknote processing machine mentioned at the outset. In this case, the banknotes sorted into the output pocket by the banknote processing machine in accordance with certain criteria form the sheet material BN.

For packaging, the sheet material BN is pushed by means of a slider20having a drive21controlled by the control device40, said slider being in an initial position, into a channel which can be formed, for example, by guiding plates10(FIG.1b). When the sheet material BN is pushed into the channel, the sheet material BN is wrapped by a packaging material30which is unwound from a roll31mounted on an axle32. The unwinding of the packaging material30can be affected by means of a drive driving the axle32. It can also be provided, however, that the unwinding of the packaging material30is caused by the wrapping of the sheet material BN with the packaging material30, i.e. by pushing the sheet material BN into the channel formed by the guiding plates10by means of the drive21and the slider20. For this purpose, the drive21can be configured in particular as an electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic linear drive.

After the slider20was returned to its initial position by the drive21, the packaging material30is sealed by a sealing unit50,51, in a manner controlled by the control device40, so that the sheet material BN is permanently enclosed by the packaging material30(FIG.1c). For this purpose, the sealing unit50,51can have a clamping location52at which the packaging material30is clamped at the start of the packaging process. The sealing unit50,51can be formed, for example, by a movable unit50and a stationary unit51, wherein one unit or both units can be heated. By means of the heat produced in the unit or the units of the sealing unit50,51, a temperature-activatable adhesive can be activated in the packaging material30, in order to seal the packaging material. After the sealing of the packaging material30by the sealing unit50,51, the packaging material30is severed in the direction of the packaged sheet material BN, so that the packaged sheet material BN can be removed. For subsequent packaging processes the packaging material30continues to be clamped at the clamping location52. After removal of the packaged sheet material BN, the sealing unit50,51, in a manner controlled by the control device40, is guided back to the position represented inFIG.1a, so that further sheet material can be packaged.

During the above-described packaging of the sheet material BN with the packaging material30, the control device40monitors whether packaging material30is unwound from the roll31. For this purpose, a monitoring device33, for example a rotary encoder, is arranged at the roll31or the axle32. The rotary encoder33can be, for example, an electrical, magnetic, mechanic or optical rotary encoder, or any other structure that is suitable to detect the rotation of the roll31.

When the control device40ascertains during the packaging by evaluating the signal of the rotary encoder33that the roll31rotates, the packaging material30necessary for the packaging is present on the roll31, so that the packaging of the sheet material BN can be carried out.

When the control device40ascertains during the packaging by evaluating the signal of the rotary encoder33that the roll31does not rotate, the packaging material30necessary for the packaging is not present on the roll31, so that the packaging of the sheet material BN cannot be carried out.

In this case, it can be provided that the control device40terminates the packaging process, i.e. in particular stops the drive21of the slider20and possibly guides the slider20back to its initial position by means of the drive21.

However, it can also be provided, for example, by corresponding constructive configuration of the apparatus for packaging sheet material, that the packaging material30is sufficient for an initiated packaging process, even if the packaging material30has been unwound completely from the roll31. For this purpose, for example, the distance between the roll31and the channel formed by the guiding plates10can be dimensioned such that the packaging material30still present there is sufficient to be able to complete the started packaging process.

Additionally, it can be provided that, upon recognizing the absence of packaging material30on the roll31, the control device40produces an indication for an operator and displays this indication by means of a display device41. The indication and the display device41can be configured acoustically and/or optically. For example, a signal tone can be sounded, or a plain-text display can be represented, for example “Please insert new roll of packaging material.”

For ascertaining the presence of packaging material30on the roll31by evaluating the signals of the rotary encoder33it can be provided that the control device40evaluates the signals of the rotary encoder33simultaneously while the control device40drives the drive21of the slider20for packaging the sheet material BN. Likewise, it is possible that the slider20has a longitudinal encoder22, which produces a signal during the movement of the slider20by the drive21. The control device40then evaluates, when a signal of the lateral encoder22is given, whether the rotary encoder33also supplies a signal from which the rotation of the roll32can be derived.

In a further embodiment of the apparatus for packaging sheet material it is provided to recognize already at an early stage that the packaging material30will be used up shortly. For this purpose, the known formal parameters of the apparatus for the packaging of sheet material are evaluated by the control device40, which allow drawing a conclusion as to the amount of packaging material30still present. Among these formal parameters, there are, inter alia, the speed at which the sheet material BN to be packaged is moved by the drive21and the slider, the size of the stack of the sheet material BN to be packaged, the diameters of a new (full) and of an empty roll31of packaging material.

To ascertain an amount of packaging material30still present, the control device40evaluates the rotational speed at which the roll31is rotating when the packaging material30is unwound from the roll31during the packaging of sheet material BN, and/or how many revolutions of the roll31are necessary per packaging process. The background to this is that a new (full) roll31has a known, larger diameter at the start, i.e. when packaging material30has not yet been unwound therefrom, than after a number of packaging processes. In line with an increasing number of packaging processes, the diameter31decreases further, so that for each new packaging process a higher number of revolutions of the roll31is necessary, and/or a higher rotational speed of the roll31results, than in the case of a new (full) roll31or in the case of preceding packaging processes. Accordingly, by evaluating the signal of the rotary encoder33, the control device40can ascertain from the rotational speed, in particular the change in rotational speed from packaging process to packaging process and/or the number of revolutions of the roll31per packaging process, how much packaging material30is still present on the roll31. Since the diameter of an empty roll31, i.e. without packaging material, is also known and along therewith the formal parameters predetermined for the rotation of the roll31with respect to rotational speed and number of revolutions of the roll31per packaging process, the control device40can ascertain on the basis of the rotational speed and/or the revolutions per packaging process ascertained in each case how much packaging material30is still present on the roll31in each case.

Thus, the control device40can produce an indication already before the packaging material30has been used up completely and can signal to an operator by means of the display device41that a new roll of packaging material needs to be inserted as soon as possible.