Method and apparatus for processing sheet material

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing sheet material, in particular papers of value such as bank notes, checks, etc. The present invention starts out from the consideration that the validity of a successful check of sheet material is still present unchanged after an operating disturbance. The result of a check of sheet material which was performed successfully before a disturbance is therefore retained when a disturbance is present or after the disturbance has been eliminated.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing sheet material, in particular papers of value such as bank notes, checks, etc.

In the processing of bank notes, a stack of bank notes is inserted into an input pocket out of which the bank notes are singled. The singled bank notes are transferred to a transport system, checked by sensors and associated with output pockets in dependence on the check. The bank notes are thereby tested for authenticity, soiling, damage, etc., and sorted into the different output pockets accordingly. Bank notes that have not been recognized clearly or faultlessly are sorted into a special output pocket, a reject pocket.

In the processing of different groups of bank notes corresponding to different deposits which may come from different depositors, the different deposits are separated by separation cards. The separation cards are inserted between the different deposits to separate them. The separation cards can be disposed at the beginning, end or the beginning and the end of the group of bank notes forming the particular deposit. The separation cards can contain information for example about the depositor and/or the deposit. Further, the separation cards are so designed as to be automatically recognized by the sensors of the bank note processing machine during processing. When a separation card is recognized, the bank note processing machine can process the associated group of bank notes, account for the corresponding deposit and enter it in the books.

However, the processing of sheet material often involves faulty processing operations caused by disturbances such as jams or other operating disturbances. This can also result in mixture of sheet material coming from different groups of sheet material, or in a change in the order of sheet material to be processed. To eliminate the disturbances, such as jams, extensive interventions by operating persons are required because, for example, the sheet material already processed and accounted for before the disturbance must be taken into consideration by the operating person so that said accounting is not changed. Moreover, the operating person must manually sort the sheet sheet material accumulating due to disturbances. Such manual processing and consideration in accounting is elaborate and very error-prone.

SUMMARY

The problem of the present invention is therefore to state a method and apparatus for processing sheet material, in particular papers of value such bank notes, checks, etc., which allow processing of the sheet material while permitting simple, uncomplicated, time-economical and error-resistant elimination of faulty processing operations.

This problem is solved according to the invention by the features discussed below.

This problem is solved according to the invention by the features of claims 1 and 7.

The invention starts out from the consideration that the validity of a successful check of sheet material is still present unchanged after an operating disturbance. The result of a check of sheet material performed successfully before a disturbance is therefore retained, even if a disturbance is present or assumed or after elimination of the disturbance, for all pieces of sheet material located at a position in processing after the rejection of the invalidly checked sheet material.

The advantage of the invention is to be seen in particular in that it speeds up the processing of sheet material in simple, uncomplicated fashion, so that time-economical and fault-resistant processing of sheet material is possible even when the processing operations are actually faulty e.g. because of being influenced by operating disturbances.

In a development it is provided that a transport system used is divided into two portions that can be driven separately.

The advantage of the development of the invention is to be seen in particular in that it permits a selective reaction to operating disturbances, which normally occur only in certain, narrowly limited areas of the transport system.

In other developments it is provided that transport devices are used that automatically supply the sheet material checked as valid and invalid and deposited in output units after a disturbance to new processing.

The advantage of said developments is to be seen in that the elimination of disturbances can be performed virtually automatically, so that in particular error-prone manual sorting and evaluation operations can be omitted.

Further advantages of the present invention result from the dependent claims and the following description of an example with reference to a figure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following, the processing of sheet material will be described by way of example with reference to the processing of bank notes. The bank notes can also form correlated groups of sheet material, which are called deposits. The different deposits are separated from each other by separation means, for example separation cards. A bank note processing machine is used for processing the bank notes or different deposits.

The figure shows a basic structure of bank note processing machine100for processing bank notes or deposits. Bank note processing machine100has input unit110in which the bank notes or deposits are inserted. Input unit110has connected thereto singler111which removes single bank notes and, if present, the separation cards of the deposits from input unit110and transfers them singly to transport system120. Transport system120transports the single bank notes and separation cards as a bank note stream through sensor device112which determines data of the bank notes by means of sensors, permitting for example conclusions as to authenticity, state, denomination, etc. Furthermore, the separation cards are recognized in sensor device112and any information contained on the separation card detected by sensor device112. The determined data of the bank notes and the detected information of the separation cards are transferred to control device140which evaluates the data and information and uses them to control the further flow of bank notes and separation cards through bank note processing machine100. Control device140thus acts on diverters121to124which are parts of transport system120and allow the bank notes and separation cards to be deposited in output units130to139according to predetermined criteria. Output units130to139can be formed for example as spiral slot stackers which stack slot stackers which stack the bank notes and separation cards to be deposited in bins131,133,135,137,139by means of rotating units130,132,134,136,138having spiral slots. The operation of bank note processing machine100is controlled by means of input/output device150having e.g. a display and a keyboard for this purpose.

The separation cards can be used, as mentioned above, for recognizing the limits of different deposits during automatic bank note processing and for mutually delimiting rejected bank notes, i.e. bank notes which were classified as false or faulty or could not be classified during the check by sensor device112and control device140. The separation cards are then additionally outputted and deposited together with the false or faulty or unclassifiable bank notes in output unit130,131, used as a reject unit.

Problems in the processing of bank notes or deposits in bank note processing machine100occur when there are operating disturbances such as jams, etc. For recognizing disturbances, bank note processing machine100can have for example detectors161to166, e.g. light barriers. Light barriers161to166are disposed along transport system120and permit monitoring of proper processing of the stream of bank notes and separation cards in bank note processing machine100from input unit110up to output units130to139. For this purpose, the signals of light barriers161to166are evaluated by control device140. If a disturbance, e.g. jam, is recognized or suspected, control device140stops further processing of the bank notes and separation cards by bank note processing machine100. In particular singler111and transport system120are thereby stopped.

The bank notes (bank note stream) and separation cards being processed at this time, i.e. the bank notes and separation cards located in transport system120, are thereby divided into two portions T1, T2along transport system120. In first portion T1along transport system120, from singler111up to diverter121of reject unit130,131, no secure statement about the bank notes of the bank note stream or separation cards is possible. In second portion T2along transport system120, after diverter121of reject unit130,131up to last output unit138,139, a secure statement about the bank notes of the bank note stream is possible since these are bank notes recognized by sensor device112and accounted for by control device140. All unaccepted bank notes, i.e. bank notes whose check by sensor device112and control device140gave rise to objections of some kind, i.e. which are faulty, false, suspected forgeries or unrecognizable, have already been outputted together with any separation cards used into reject unit130,131, as described above, or are still located in first portion T1of transport system120.

When the cause of the disturbance has been recognized and eliminated, the bank notes and separation cards in first portion T1of transport system120are removed and supplied to new processing, i.e. inserted into input unit110. Simultaneously, the bank notes and separation cards can be removed from reject unit130,131and reprocessed with the bank notes and separation cards of first portion T1of transport system120. It is thus possible to completely process and account for the bank notes or deposits inserted into input unit110originally, i.e. before the occurrence of the disturbance.

The bank notes in second portion T2of transport system120are likewise removed but need not be checked by sensor device112since they have been properly processed, as described above, i.e. the bank notes have been recognized, accepted and accounted for. This means that they have in particular been taken into consideration properly when the processed bank notes or deposits were accounted for so that they must not be accounted for again. The removed bank notes can be inserted into input unit110and sorted again at the end of processing of all bank notes or deposits. This means that the bank notes are only examined according to the selected sorting criteria, e.g. denomination, and distributed over output units132to139, where the bank notes previously processed properly may be located.

For removal of the bank notes and separation cards it can also be provided that after processing has been stopped, as described above, only transport system120is set going by control device140. Before that, control device140additionally actuates diverter121of reject unit130,131. All bank notes and separation cards in first portion T1of transport system120are thus transported into reject unit130,131, but all bank notes in second portion T2of transport system120into output unit138,139disposed last, regarded in the transport direction, which is operated as disturbance unit138,139. The bank notes and separation cards in reject unit130,131and disturbance unit138,139can then be processed further as described above. In particular, it can be provided that reject unit130,131and/or disturbance unit138,139are connected with transport devices170and/or171with input unit110, so that the bank notes and separation cards in reject unit130,131and/or disturbance unit138,139can be transported into input unit110to be reprocessed, as described above.

Alternatively, it can be provided that transport system120is divided up and decoupled mechanically at place T. The two portions T1and T2of transport system120can then also be operated individually. This permits e.g. the bank notes located in second portion T2to be first transported into output units132to139, in particular disturbance unit138,139, and deposited there. Then the bank notes and separation cards of first portion T1of transport system120can be transported into one of output units130to139, in particular reject unit130,131, and deposited there. Further processing is effected as described above.

A further alternative results if only singler111is stopped when a disturbance is recognized or assumed. Transport system120can in this case be operated further. The bank notes and separation cards in first and second portions T1and T2of transport system120are then transported into output units130,131and138,139and deposited there, as described above. Only one of portions T1or T2can also be operated further, as described above. This is of advantage in particular when a Jam is recognized or suspected in one of portions T1and T2of transport system120. Said portion T1or T2is then stopped together with singler111by control device140. The bank notes and separation cards in other portion T2or T1of transport system120are transported into output units130,131or138,139and deposited there, as described above. Then the cause of the disturbance in relevant portion T1or T2can be eliminated and processing continued, as described above.