IMPROVED SCANNER FOR CHEQUES, OR SIMILAR DOCUMENTS, PROVIDED WITH A SUPPORT BRACKET FOR HOUSING A KEYBOARD

Abstract: A scanner or reader (10) for cheques, or similar documents, is provided with a support bracket (14), arranged adjacent to the basis thereof, for housing thereon a keyboard (22) of an electronic processor. The support bracket (14) is equipped with quick engageable and disengageable fastening means (24, 26), to make the keyboard (22) either joined to or removed from the bracket (14), according to the needs, and the body (12) of the scanner is provided with stopping means (32) for providing irremovability of the keyboard (22) with respect to the support bracket (14).

Description: "IMPROVED SCANNER FOR CHEQUES, OR SIMILAR DOCUMENTS, PROVIDED WITH A SUPPORT BRACKET FOR HOUSING A KEYBOARD" The present invention consists of a scanner or reader for cheques, or similar documents, provided with a support bracket to which can be fastened, removably at will, a usual keyboard for electronic processor Magnetic or optical scanners or readers for cheques are in use since long time These scanners aie panicularly used in accounting departments of banks and similar financial organisations foi receiving and processing data related to banking documents, such as cheques, bank receipts, bills of exchange, etc As in said departments is always present at least an electronic data processor, these scanners are interfaced with the processor through a proper connection Further, to the processor is connected at least a keyboard and a display, so that on the desk of the processor operator must be present at least the cheque scanner, the keyboard and the display Since there are room problems in arranging the above mentioned items on a desk, it has been proposed, as a first solution foi i educing encumbrances, the use of a readei or scanner foi cheques incoi porated in a keyboard for electronic processors, as for example disclosed in EP-A-0 670 557, filed on 02 03 1995 and published on 06 09 1995, having the same applicant and inventor of the present application In such an application is disclosed a scanner or reader incorporated in a keyboard to be connected to an electronic processor allowing to reduce the space taken by the peripherals equipments of the electronic processor consisting of the keyboard and the scanner Such a scanner works undoubtly well, however has the problem of being suited just for electronic processors needing a standard keyboard, while in the case of processors needing a dedicated keyboard, as sometimes it happens in departments having then own piocedure needs, people aie complelled eithei to give up the scannei having the incorpoiated keyboard oi to try to modify the incorporated keyboai d accoi ding to the propei pi oceduies, which is, not only particulai h engaging and tedious, but can also l esult impossible To remedy such a drawback preventing from using the cheque scannei of the above mentioned EP-A-0 670 557 in case of not standard keyboards, for having at least the advantage of spearing room, it has been devised, according to the present invention, to provide a scanner for cheque bands whose body is characterized by the addition of a front projecting bracket basis working as a support foi a keyboard and provided with fastening means of the keyboard to the bracket basis itself Preferably, the fastening means consist of at least a latch, provided with returning spring means, which is pulled to allow the keyboai d to be placed on the bracket basis and then is released to fasten the keyboard to the bracket basis itself More preferably, the latches with returning spring means are two in number Even more preferably, the above mentioned latches are provided with hooked brackets helping to hold the keyboard adhering to the bracket basis In addition, on the wall of the scanner body facing the bracket basis is used a stopping pioiection which, being superimposed to the kevboard, prevents any occurrence of remotion from the bracket basis Moreover, as besides the l eadei s of cheque bands exist and are more and more widespread also leaders of all the data of the cheques, also known as cheque scanners, carrymg out simultaneously the front and rear reading of both the faces thereof, as well as exist equipments scanning and processing documents, such as readers and pπntei s, especially for post office account forms or the like, exists the need to couple a pi ocessoi keyboaid also to them analougsly to what already done with the band leaders Thus, a furthei object of the present invention is to embody both a cheque scanner and a document processor provided with a bracket basis suited to house a keyboard for electronic processor for carrying out the same operation of the bracket basis connected to a band reader The simultaneous scanner of front and rear face of the cheque, having a body connected to a bracket basis for supporting and fastening a keyboard of a processor, is characterized by comprising on the top of the body a longitudinal slit for inseiting a cheque thereinto, the slit pui suing with a slot directing the cheque to fu st l eading means of a first face of the cheque, followed bv second l eading means of the opposed face of the cheque, by means conveying the cheque out the area containing the fu st and second reading means of the opposed faces of the cheque and at last, by collecing means for the cheques read by the two leading or scanning means Particularly, the first scanning means of a first face of the cheque consist of a first reading head faced to one of the fu st driving rollers of the cheque moving the cheque itself across the leading head and the second scanning means consist of a second reading head faced to one oi moie second driving rollers of the check moving the cheque itself across the second reading head Further particulai ly, the conveying means of the cheque aftei the leading thereof consist of one 01 moi e third rollei s faced to a slot, providing to remove the cheque having undei gone the reading 01 scanning Preferably, the collecting means consist of one oi moi e supports suited for sustain the cheque elected by the scannei Particularly, the collecting means consist of tw o rod shaped upside folded supports In first alternative, the collecting means consist of two planar strip shaped upside folded supports In second alternative, the collecting means consist of a sheet, substantially extended as the cheque to be housed folded accoiding to a downside oriented cornei The same obiect o the piesent inv ention is alternativ el\ obtained b a scanner and processoi foi documents diffei ent fiom cheques, needing other operations, besides the leading oi scanning, such as punting on at least a face of the document and possible shearing of poitions of a form, having a body connected to a biacket basis foi suppoitmg and fastening a computer keyboaid, characterized b> comprising on the top of the body thereof a longitudinal slit for the insertion ofthe document thereinto, being the slit extended by a slot conducing to at least a reading means of a face of the document followed by at least a printing means of the face itself, extending the slit in a rail conducing to at least a printing means of either the same face oi the opposed face and at last a collecting means for read and processed documents According to a pi efened embodiment, ai e used two leading means, one foi a first face of the document and the other foi the opposed face According to anothei prefened embodiment, aie used two printing means, one for a first face of the document and another for the opposed face According to a further preferred embodiment, at least a separation means for portions of the document is used At last, according to a most prefened embodiment individual collecting means for read scanned and processed documents are used The featuies ot the invention will be defined in the claims foiming the concluding poπions of the description Howevei , othei featuies and advantages thereof will be more apparent fiom the following detailed description of some embodiments, given in examphfying and not limiting way, piovided with the enclosed di awings, in which - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a scanner for cheque bands according to the present invention provided with bracket basis foi housing any kind of keyboard, - Figure 2 is a lateral elevational view from the cheque exit side of the scanner according to the present invention, - Figuie 3 is a lateial elevational view fiom the cheque input side of the scannei according to the pi esent inv ention, - Figuie 4 is a pei spective view of a scannei foi whole cheques according to the pi esent inv ention piovided with biacket basis for housmg any kind of keyboaid, - Figui e 5 is a lateial view, in cioss-section, of a scanner according to the present invention schematically depicting the path of the cheque between the scanning heads, from the first head to the exit to the collecting means, - Figuie 6 is a latei al schematic view of a piefen ed dnving mechanism of the cheque fi om the fu st scanning head to the exit to the collecting means, - Figui e 7 is a schematic pai tial top view ot the same dnving mechanism depicted in figuie 6 - Figui e 8 is a peι e v iew ot an altei na e scannei accoiding to the present invention suitable to read pπnt and cut foi s diffei ent fi om cheques, as foi example foi ms toi post office accounts incorpoiated in punted forms, such as the forms suited for paying utility bills, also provided of a bracket basis for housing any kind of keyboard, and - Figui e 9 is a lateral cross-section view of the alternative scanner according to the present inv ention depicting schematically the path of the document starting from the first scanning head, pui suing to the second scanning head, a first front pπntei a second ιeaι pnntei a tnmmer foi sheai ing the bill from the remaining document and at last the ι_ollectιng means of the poitions of the scanned and processed documents Refen ing to figui es 1 to 3 it is seen that a cheque l eadei oi scannei accoiding to the piesent invention compnses a l eader bodv 12 connected to a biacket basis 14 The reader bod 12 compnses an input 16 of the documents to be read, a slit 18 of reading portion for the documents themselves and a V shaped slot 20 for collecting the read documents The bracket basis 14 houses, through simple abutment thereon, a keyboard 22 and is provided with two sliding latches 24 and 26 which, under the obvious drive of proper springs (not shown), try to approach the reader body 12. The two latches 24 and 26 are further provided with respective small hooked brackets 28 and 30 for assuring a complete fastening of the keyboard to the bracket basis 14. At last, a stopping projection 32 is fastened to the wall of the reader body 12 faced to the bracket basis 14 and the keyboard 22 for preventing any lifting of the keyboard 22 owing to sliding along the wall itself. Referring to figures 4 to 7, it is seen that a cheque scanner 40 according to the present invention comprises, a scanner body 42 connected to a bracket basis 14, identical to the bracket basis depicted in figures 1 to 3. The scanner body 42 comprises an upper portion 44 provided with a Iongitudinal slit 46 suited to receive a cheque 48 having a first rear face 52 and a second front face 50, or vice versa. The bracket basis 14, as already disclosed with reference to figures 1 to 3, houses, through simple abutment thereon, a keyboard 22 and is provided with two sliding latches 24 and 26 which, under the obvious drive of proper springs (not shown), try to approach the scanner body 42. The two latches 24 and 26 are further provided with respective small hooked brackets 28 and 30 for assuring a complete fastening of the keyboard to the bracket basis 14 At last, a stopping projection 62 is fastened to the wall of the scanner body 42 faced to the bracket basis 14 and the keyboard 22 for preventing any lifting of the keyboard 22 owing to sliding along the wall itself. Referring no particularly to figures 5 to 7, it is seen that the scanner 66 comprises a first driving roller 68 faced to a first reading head 70, a second driving roller 72 faced to a second reading head 74, a rail 76 for directing cheques and a third driving roller 78 for ext racing scanned cheques from the scanner 66. The third roller 78 is followed by collecting means of the scanned cheques, which in the figures 4 and 5 are depicted as two planar folded strips 80 and 82 having upside turned concavity The driving mechanism 84, particularly depicted in figures 6 and 7, consists of an electric motor 86 driving a pinion 88 meshing a central gear 90, provided with rotation axis 92 and wheel crown 93, driving the first dπving roller 68 through an intermediate sprocket 94 engaging a gear 96 thereof, the second driving roller 72 through direct meshing with the crown 93 and the third dπving roller 78 through direct meshing of its gear 98 with the crown 93 of the central gear 90 Of course, the intermediate sprocket 94 between the central gear 90 and the driving roller 68 could be omitted and intermediate sprockets between the central gear 90 and the driving roller 72 and 78 could be used, provided that an inversely turning electric motor 86 is used, without changing anything else in the scope of the invention Reference is now made to figures 8 and 9 depicting a scanner and processor 1 10 for documents different from cheques. The scanner and processor 1 10 according to the present invention comprises a scanner body 1 12 connected to a bracket basis 14, identical to those depicted in figures 1 to 5. The scanner body 1 12 comprises an upper portion 124 provided with a Iongitudinal slit 126 suited to receive a document 1 18 having a first rear face 152 and a second front face 150, or vice versa. The document 1 18 can be divided in two poπions 120 and 122, as depicted in figure 5, of which foi example the poπion 120 is a form for making payments, such as a post office account form, and the poπion 122 is a printed form having information or accounting purposes, such as an invoice for facility services (electnc power, gas, phone, etc ) The bracket basis 14, as it has been disclosed for the preceding embodiments, houses through simple abutment thei eon, a keyboard 22 and is provided with two sliding latches 24 and 26 which, under the obvious dnve of pioper spπngs (not shown), trv to appioach the scanner body 1 12 The two latches 24 and 26 aie fuπher provided with respective small hooked brackets 28 and 30 foi assui mg a complete fastening of the keyboard to the bracket basis 14 At last a stopping protection 62 is fastened to the wall of the reader body 1 12 faced to the biacket basis 14 and the keyboai d 22 for pi eventing any lifting of the keyboaid 22 owing to sliding along the wall itself Refeπing now panicularly to figuie 9, it is seen that a scanner 166 compnses a first driving roller 68 faced to a fli st reading head 70, a second dπving roller 72 faced to a second ιeadιn« head 74, a slot 136 for document forwarding and a third roller 78 for extracing the scanned document from the scanner 166 After the second reading head 74 are inseπed a first printing head 134 cooperating with a pπntei roller 128, a second printing head 134 cooperating with a printer roller 132, providing to print types on the front face 150 and the rear face 152 of the document 1 18, l espectively The slot 136 forwards the document to a circular tπmmei 138 providing to separate the account form portion 120 from the invoice poπion 122 (figuie 8) The thu d i oiler 78 is followed by collecting means of the scanned and processed documents, which are depicted as consisting of planai folded stupes 180, 182, 184 and 186 having upside turned concavity What has been heieabove disclosed is a detailed description of some embodiments ot the inv ention nol to be considered in limiting way ln fact any person skilled in this an w ill be able io devise, fiom the l eading of the above disclosuie logicalK similai and equixalent approaches to be deemed hei e covered as defmed bv the appended claims For example, the numbei ot reading oi scanning heads can be diffei ent (lower) from that depicted in the figui es because sometimes it is sufficient to read or scan just a face of a document and thus just one reading head can be enough Similar , not always both the printing heads 130 and 134 are necessary, because sometimes it is sufficient to pπnt just a face of the document 1 18, so that the printing head 130 oi 134 can be omitted Not even the circular trimmer 138 is always necessaiΛ if poπions of the document 1 18 need not to be separated, so the trimmer 138 can be omitted

Claims: CLAIMS 1 Scanner foi cheques, or similai documents, having a body ( 12) characteπzed by the addition of a front proti uding bracket basis ( 14) serving foi suppoπ of a keyboaid (22) and piovided with fastening means (24, 26) of the keyboard (22) to the bracket basis ( 14) 2 Scanner foi cheques, as in claim 1 , characteπzed in that the fastening means consist of at least a latch (24 oi 26), provided with spring call which is pulled to allow the keyboaid (22) to be arranged on the bracket basis ( 14) and then released to fasten the keyboard to the basis itself 3 Scanner for cheques, as in claim 2, characterized in that the latches (24, 26) provided with spring are two in number 4 Scanner for cheques, as in claim 3, characterized in that the latches (24, 26) are provided with hooked brackets (28, 30) helping in maintaining the keyboard (22) adheπng to the bracket basis ( 14) 5 Scanner for cheques, as in claim 4 chaiacteπzed in that on the wall of the body ( 12) of the cheque scanner facing the bi acket basis ( 14) is used a stopping projection (32) which, being supei imposed to the keyboai d (22), prevents any chance of disconnection fi om the bi acket basis ( 14) 6 Simultaneous scanner of fiont and rear faces of cheques or other documents, having a body (42) connected to a bracket basis ( 14) for supporting and fastening a computer keyboard (22) characterized by comprising on the top (44) of the body (42) a longitudinal slit (46) for the inseπion of a cheque (48) thereinto, pui suing the slit with a slot having fu st leading means of a first face (52) of the cheque (48) oi othei document followed by second reading means of the opposed face (50) o the same cheque (48) oi vice versa by means driving the cheque (48) out ot the ai ea containing the first and second readmg means of the each othei opposed faces of the cheque (48) and, at last by means collecting the cheque lead by the two readmg means 7 Scanner for cheques, as in claim 6, chai actei ized in that in the scanner (66) the first reading means of a first face (52) of the cheque consist of a first reading head (70) facing one or more rollers (68) driving the cheque (48) which move the cheque itself (48) across the first reading head (70) and the second reading means consist of a second l eading head (74) facing one or more rollers (72) dπving the cheque (48) itself aci oss the same second leading head (74) 8 Scanner for cheques, as in claims 6 and 7, chai actei ized in that the means conveying the cheque (48) aftei the scanning thei eof consist of one oi more third rollei s (78) faced to a i ail (76) pi oviding to l emove the scanned cheque (48) 9 Scannei foi cheques as in claims 6 to 8, chaiactei ized in that the collecting means of the cheque (48) consist of one oi more suppoπs (80, 82) suited to suppoπ the cheque (48) ejected fi om the scanner (66) 10 Scannei for cheques, as in claim 9, chai acterized in that the collecting means consist of two suppoi ts in the foim of two upwards folded lods 1 1 Scannei foi cheques as in claim 9 characteπzed in that the collecting means consist of two suppoπs in the fonn of two upwai ds folded planai strips 12 Scanner toi cheques, as in claim 9, chai acterized in that the collecting means consist of a sheet, substantial extended as the cheque (48) to be housed, and upwards folded 13 Scanner for documents (118), different from cheques, needing other operations, besides the reading, such as printing on at least a face (150, 152) of the document itself and possible trimming of foim poπions (120, 122), having a body (112) connected to a bracket basis (14) for suppoπing and fastening a computei keyboaid (22), charactenzed b compnsing on the top (124) ofthe body (112) a longitudinal slit ( 126) foi inserting the document (118) thereinto, pursuing the slit (126) with a rail conducing to at least a reading means of a face (150, 152) of the document, followed by at least a pπnting means (130, 134) ofthe same face (150, 152) or the opposed face and, at last, by at least a means (180) for collecting read and processed documents (118) 14 Scanner, as in claim 13, characteπzed in that two reading means (70, 74) are used, one for a first face (152) of the document and the other for the opposed second face (1 0) or vice veisa 15 Scannei, as in claim 13 oi 14, chai acterized in that two printing means (130, 134) aie used one foi a fust face (152) of the document and the other for the opposed second face ( 150) oi vice versa 16 Scannei, as in claim 13, 14 or 15, characterized in that at least a trimming means (138) of poπions (120, 122) of the document (118) is used 17 Scannei, as in claims 13 to 15, characterized in that individual collecting means (180, 182, 184, 186) for read, processed and scanned documents (118) are used

Inventors: PIAZZA ATTILIO, PIAZZA, ATTILIO
Applicants: PIAZZA ATTILIO, PIAZZA, ATTILIO
Application year: 1996
Main classification: G06K17
IPC codes: G06K7