Transport device comprising a branch for transporting sheets

The invention is concerned with a transport device for sheets, with which branching of the transport path can be implemented in a manner which is simple and not susceptible to faults. This object is achieved by a transport device which comprises a first belt transport unit and a second belt transport unit, the second belt transport unit being arranged transversely with respect to the first belt transport unit. Between the belts of the first belt transport unit and of the second belt transport unit, a transport path for valuable documents or bank notes is formed in each case. At the end of the transport path, the leading edge of a sheet which is transported along the transport path of the first belt transport unit strikes the upper transverse belt of the second belt transport unit and is deflected by the belt in such a way that it is now transported along the transport path of the second belt transport unit. Depending on the direction of rotation of the rolls which are used to guide and to drive the belts, the sheet can be deflected into the left or right section of the second belt transport unit, so that a diverter function is made possible hereby without separate drives or control means being necessary. Furthermore, by driving the direction of rotation of the rolls, a sheet stack can be formed within the transport path of the second belt transport unit.

The present invention relates to a transport device for transporting sheets, such as in particular valuable documents or bank notes. Transport devices of this type are used, for example, in automatic teller machines and automatic safe deposit machines in order to transport bank notes or check forms. In addition to rectilinear transport, a branch in the transport path is often needed, for example if bank notes are to be deposited in one or more cassettes that are available or if bank notes whose quality is inadequate or whose authenticity is questionable have to be separated out. For such branches, use is normally made of diverters which are actuated by drive devices. However, such diverters are normally of complicated construction and susceptible to faults.

The invention is based on the object of specifying a transport device for sheets with which a branch in the transport path can be implemented in a manner that is simple and not susceptible to faults.

This object is achieved by a transport device which comprises a first belt transport unit and a second belt transport unit, the second belt transport unit being arranged transversely with respect to the first belt transport unit. Between the belts of the first belt transport unit and of the second belt transport unit, a transport path for valuable documents or bank notes is formed in each case. At the end of the transport path, the leading edge of a sheet which is transported along the transport path of the first belt transport unit strikes the upper transverse belt of the second belt transport unit and is deflected by the belt in such a way that it is now transported along the transport path of the second belt transport unit. Depending on the direction of rotation of the rolls which are used to guide and to drive the belts, the sheet can be deflected into the left or right section of the second belt transport unit, so that a diverter function is made possible hereby without separate drives or control means being necessary. Furthermore, by driving the direction of rotation of the rolls, a sheet stack can be formed within the transport path of the second belt transport unit by successive sheets being transferred from the first belt transport unit into the second belt transport unit and the new sheet being deposited under the sheet stack already formed in the first or second section of the second belt transport unit.

A transport device10according to the invention is illustrated schematically in a side view inFIG. 1and in a plan view inFIG. 2. The transport device10comprises a first belt transport unit15, which is preferably formed from three endless belts12and three endless belts14. The belts12are tensioned between rolls16and rolls18, and the belts14are tensioned between rolls20and rolls22. As a result of the rotational movement of the rolls, the belts are driven, the direction of rotation of the rolls determining the transport direction of the belts.

Formed between the belts12and the belts14is a transport path24for a bank note, which path is vertical in the illustration ofFIG. 1. The belts12,14and all the further belts mentioned in the following text are fabricated from an elastic material, so that the belts12,14rest on one another and likewise a valuable document or a bank note can be guided between the belts12,14. The device further comprises a second belt transport unit5, which is preferably formed from two belts26and 2 pairs of belts32and38and runs transversely with respect to the first belt transport unit15. The two endless belts26are tensioned between the rolls28and rolls30.

The two endless belts32are tensioned between the rolls34and rolls36. InFIG. 2, the rolls34are hidden by the belts26and therefore shown dashed. The two endless belts38are tensioned between the rolls40and rolls42. InFIG. 2, the rolls40are likewise covered by the third belts26and therefore shown dashed.

The belts32, together with the opposite section of the belt26, form a first section33of the second belt transport unit, which is bounded by an outer end in the region of the roll36and by an inner end in the region of the roll34. In the same way, the belts38, together with the opposite section of the belt26, form the second section39of the second belt transport unit.

The rolls16and the rolls34are arranged on a common shaft44. The rolls20and the rolls40are arranged on a common shaft46. The shafts44and46are coupled to each other via coupling gears48and50which are arranged at the respective ends of the shaft44and46, respectively. The rolls16are firmly mounted on the first shaft44so as to rotate with it, and the rolls20are firmly mounted on the second shaft46so as to rotate with it. The first belt transport unit15is driven by the fact that the first and/or second shaft44,46are/is driven. For this purpose, an individual drive can be provided (not shown), in particular if the first belt transport unit15is to transport in both directions (upward and downward). In this case, the rolls34and the rolls40are freely rotatably mounted on the first shaft44and on the second shaft46, respectively.

If, in the first belt transport unit15, transport in only one direction is envisaged, one of the rolls34and one of the rolls40can be coupled to the associated shaft44and46via a freewheel in such a way that it can drive the associated shaft only in the direction of rotation which corresponds to the envisaged transport direction of the first belt transport unit15. In this case, no individual drive is needed for the first belt transport unit15; instead the first belt transport unit15is driven by the second belt transport unit33,39via the belts32and the belts38via the aforementioned freewheels.

In the following, the functioning of the transport device10will be described with reference toFIGS. 3 to 5.FIGS. 3 to 5are three successive instantaneous recordings during the formation of a sheet stack in the device. In the instantaneous recordings, the directions of rotation of the rolls and the running directions of the belts are identified by adjacent arrows. The drives of the first belt transport unit15and of the second belt transport unit5are driven by a control unit (not shown) in such a way that the following transport behavior results for the valuable documents or bank notes to be transported.

In the instantaneous recording ofFIG. 3, a first sheet52is being transported upward in the transport path24of the first belt transport unit15. For reasons of clarity, all the transport paths are illustrated highly enlarged in the figures. In actual fact, the belts rest on one another; however, because of the elasticity of the belts, a sheet can be guided between the belts. The leading end of the first sheet52has already struck the third belt26and, on account of the running direction of the latter, is drawn along and thus bent over to the right, while the rear part of the first sheet52continues to be guided after it in the first belt transport unit15. Thus, the first sheet52is introduced with its leading end into the second section39of the second belt transport unit5. The running direction of the rolls and belts is maintained until the first sheet52is located completely in the second section39of the second belt transport unit5.

The running direction of the belts26,32,38of the second belt transport unit5is then reversed by reversing the direction of rotation of the rolls28,30;36,16;20,42. This leads to the first sheet52, as shown inFIG. 4, being transported in the direction of the first section33of the second belt transport unit5.

At the same time, a second sheet54is transported upward in the first belt transport unit15(FIG. 4). The reversal of the transport direction in the second belt transport unit5and the feeding of the second sheet54are coordinated with each other in time in such a way that the first and the second sheet52,54meet each other in the intermediate region between the first and the second section33,39of the second belt transport unit5and are introduced jointly into the first section33of the second belt transport unit5, as shown inFIG. 4. The two sheets52,54lie above each another and the transport is continued until the sheet stack52,54is located completely in the first section33of the second belt transport unit5.

The transport direction in the second belt transport unit5, that is to say of the belts26,32and38, is then reversed again, so that the sheet stack52,54is moved to the right again, as shown in the instantaneous recording ofFIG. 5. At the same time, a third sheet56is transported upward in the first belt transport unit15(seeFIG. 5). The leading ends of the sheet stack consisting of the first and second sheet52,54and of the third sheet56again meet one another in the intermediate region between the first and the second section33,39of the second belt transport unit5, are guided jointly into the second section39of the second belt transport unit5and thus form a sheet stack consisting of three sheets52,54and56(not shown).

By means of the described type of control of the transport device, sheet stacks can be built up successively in the second belt transport unit5. The roll28and the roll30can be adjusted in the vertical direction, so that the distance between the belts26, on the one hand, and the belts32,38, on the other hand, can be matched to a height of a sheet stack being formed.

As can be seen from the above description, the intermediate region between the first and the second section33,39of the second belt transport unit5constitutes a branching point for sheets which are transported upward in the first belt transport unit15. At the same time, a sheet or sheet stack can be transported from one section33or38of the second belt transport unit5beyond the branching point into the other section38or33of the second belt transport unit5.

An appliance58for paying bank notes in or out is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view inFIG. 6. The appliance58has a housing60having an input and output point62, at which bank notes can be paid into the appliance58and output from the latter, and a safe64, in the interior of which bank note cassettes66are arranged.

The appliance58further comprises a transport device10as has been described above. The outer end of the first section33of the second belt transport unit5is in this case arranged at the input point62, so that bank notes put in at the input point62are introduced into the first section33of the second belt transport unit5at the outer end, and bank notes which are transported beyond the outer end of the first section33in the second belt transport unit5arrive in the input and output point62.

In the transport device10of the appliance58, the first belt transport unit15and the second belt transport unit5can be driven independently of each other, and the transport devices are reversible in the case of both belt transport units5,15. However, while a reversal of the direction in the second belt transport unit5effects a displacement of a sheet stack being formed from the one section33into the other section38of the second belt transport unit, in the event of a reversal in the direction of the first belt transport unit15, the currency notes are conveyed into the safe64or out of the latter.

If bank notes are to be paid out from the appliance58, these are firstly introduced from below into the first belt transport unit15by a transport device68, not specified in more detail here. From the latter, they are transported out of the safe64through an opening70in the safe64, stacked in the second belt transport unit5as described inFIGS. 3 to 5and then output at the input and output point62.

In order to put bank notes in, these are introduced individually or in a stack via the input and output point62at the outer end of the first section33of the second belt transport unit5and are transported in the direction of the inner end of the latter. The device10of the appliance58has, in addition to the above described components, a guide element72which can be displaced from a neutral position (shown dashed inFIG. 6) into a deflected position, in which it projects into the path of a bank note located in the first or second section of the second belt transport unit5and deflects said bank note by its leading edge into the first belt transport unit15. With the aid of the guide element72, it is accordingly possible for a bank note put in at the input and output point62to be transported via the first section33of the second belt transport unit5and the first belt transport unit15into the safe64, to be accepted there by the transport device68and deposited specifically in one of the storage cassettes66.

If the first and the second section33,39of the second belt transport unit5have a sufficient length then, by driving the direction of rotation of the rolls28,30;36,16;20,42in the second belt transport unit5, two sheet stacks can also be formed beside each other, for example one stack for bank notes that have been sorted out, whose quality is inadequate, for example, or whose authenticity is in question, and one stack with satisfactory bank notes. A reject stack of this type can be formed on the side facing away from the input and output point62and removed by an authorized person. A precondition for this is that both sections33,39of the second belt transport unit are long enough to accommodate two bank note stacks beside each other.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS