Abstract:
A compact, desktop document processor for use on a counter-top is provided. A low-profile document feeding machine includes a feeder, a hopper, at least one processing device, and an output pocket. The apparatus further includes a reversible motor including a shaft, a first one-way clutch, a second one-way clutch, a nudger device, and a jogging device. The nudger device is drivingly connected to the motor through the first one-way clutch such that driving the motor in a forward direction drives the nudger device to urge a document from a document stack in the hopper into the feeder. The jogging device is drivingly connected to the motor through the second one-way clutch such that driving the motor in a reverse direction drives the jogging device to align the documents in the document stack prior to feeding.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to document processing, and to compact desktop document processors for capturing data and images from checks and other financial and payment-related documents. The invention further relates to document processors designed for processing documents at a teller window, and to document processors designed for processing documents at a back counter or a back office. 
         [0003]    2. Background Art 
         [0004]    Document processing machines function best when the documents are introduced into them in a consistent way. The leading edge and bottom edge of the documents are used to reference the location of items of interest on the documents. It is common industry practice to require the alignment of document leading and bottom edges before introducing them into the document processing machine. This process is known as jogging. 
         [0005]    Various mechanical approaches have been used to obtain the jogging function, as will be familiar to those of ordinary skill in the art of document processing. These approaches have included electromagnetic actuators, motor-driven approaches using eccentric weights and/or linkages, and others. The working effect of all these approaches, however, has been very much the same—to temporarily separate a stack of documents from each other so that interdocument friction is reduced as far as possible, and then provide alignment surfaces that the documents can fall against under the influence of gravity. That is, these machines take a quantity of documents and repeatedly apply an accelerating impulse to the documents, having the effect of throwing them into the air just far enough that they will separate from each other, then allow them to fall on registration surfaces so as to align the desired edges of the documents. If the process is repeated often enough, all of the documents will eventually come to be aligned to the reference surfaces. 
         [0006]    Historically, banks processed large volumes of paper checks in centralized locations, either a central bank or a clearing house. Document processing machines in such locations were large, processing up to 2000 documents per minute. These machines were supported by dedicated, trained operators. These machines were further supported by other machines known as document joggers. The document joggers vibrated stacks of documents into alignment before introduction into the document processing machines. Document joggers were typically relatively heavy, in order to provide sufficient reaction mass to vibrate the documents. As vibrating machines, document joggers were also objectionably loud. 
         [0007]    The centralized processing of documents was beneficial to document processing machines, because of the dedicated operators and document joggers. However, centralized processing costs banks typically three days in clearing a document. The “Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act” or the “Check 21 Act” was enacted by Congress to facilitate check truncation by authorizing substitute checks, to foster innovation in the check collection system without mandating receipt of checks in electronic form, and to improve the overall efficiency of the Nation&#39;s payments system. The Check 21 legislation has driven the demand for decentralized check imagers and sorters in financial institutions. Check 21 gives equal legal validity to electronic data obtained from documents, and has made it possible for banks to distribute document processing to speed the clearing process. 
         [0008]    Distributed processing poses problems for the document processing machines. The operators are no longer dedicated, but typically tellers with a number of other responsibilities, and less understanding of document preparation. The document processors are physically smaller, less expensive by orders of magnitude, and greater in number. Document joggers typically do not exist in the distributed environment, because of their size, noise, and cost. 
         [0009]    For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an improved document processor that is able to provide document preparation analogous to the jogging function at minimal cost, without operator intervention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    In one embodiment of the invention, a compact, desktop document processor for use on a counter-top is provided. A low-profile document feeding machine includes a feeder, a hopper, at least one processing device, and an output pocket. The apparatus further includes a reversible motor including a shaft, a first one-way clutch, a second one-way clutch, a nudger device, and a jogging device. The nudger device is drivingly connected to the motor through the first one-way clutch such that driving the motor in a forward direction drives the nudger device to urge a document from a document stack in the hopper into the feeder. The jogging device is drivingly connected to the motor through the second one-way clutch such that driving the motor in a reverse direction drives the jogging device to align the documents in the document stack prior to feeding. 
         [0011]    In another embodiment, the nudger device and jogging device are composed of an arm, a nudger, and a spring-loaded flag. The arm has a first end mounted via the second one-way clutch to the motor shaft, and has a second end. The nudger is mounted to the second end of the arm, and is drivingly connected to the motor through the first one-way clutch such that driving the motor in the forward direction drives the nudger to urge a document from the document stack in the hopper into the feeder. The spring-loaded flag urges the document stack against the nudger. Driving the motor in the reverse direction drives the arm to cause the nudger to impact the document stack to jog the documents. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a third one-way clutch. The feeder is drivingly connected to the motor through the third one-way clutch such that driving the motor in the forward direction drives the feeder. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a compact, desktop document processor in an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates a single motor jogger/feeder in an embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates a more detailed view of the single motor jogger/feeder. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a compact, desktop document processor is generally indicated at  10 . The apparatus  10  includes base unit  12 , and input hopper  14  for receiving a batch of checks to be processed. In general, apparatus  10  is used for decentralized document processing applications. The input hopper  14  provides the operator with an area to place a stack of documents to be processed, supports longer documents, and assists with document alignment. 
         [0017]    The apparatus  10  may be constructed to perform any number of known document processing actions as appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. Suitable electronics and mechanical mechanisms are located within base unit  12 . For example, apparatus  10  may perform front and rear image capture, magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) reading, optical character recognition (OCR) reading, endorsing, and/or bar code reading depending on the application. Advantageously, the electronics and mechanical mechanisms required for the document processing actions are provided within base unit  12  as readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The apparatus may be provided with a suitable network connection interface such as Ethernet or Universal Serial Bus (USB). 
         [0018]    Input hopper  14  is an automatic, hands-off device that will feed a batch of checks into the base unit  12 . Input hopper  14  receives and holds a batch of checks between side wall portion  20  and spring-loaded flag  22  which presses up against the last document in the loaded batch to keep the checks together. It is appreciated that apparatus  10  is suitable for processing checks as well as other financial and payment-related documents. 
         [0019]    Divider element  24  includes a pocket selector  26  that allows checks to be sorted into, as shown, two pockets based on criteria such as high value amounts, image quality, reader rejects, and others. The pockets include first and second pockets  30  and  32 , respectively. First pocket  30  is bound by side wall  34  of input hopper  14 , and divider element  24 . Second pocket  32  is bound by divider element  24  and wall  36 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a more general view of an embodiment of the invention in a document processor is illustrated.  FIG. 3  illustrates a more specific view. 
         [0021]    The operator inserts documents to be processed between the flag  22  and the wall  20 . A spring mechanism  21  associated with the flag  22  pushes the stack of documents against the nudger wheel  50  which is driven by the feed motor  52 . The feed motor  52  is a stepper motor, which has excellent speed control and reversing capability. The nudger  50  moves documents forward to the pinch point between the feed wheel  54  and the separator  56 . The separator  56  restrains subsequent documents such that the feed wheel  54  can only feed one document at a time into the transport  58 . 
         [0022]    It is necessary to create a gap between the documents being fed in order to identity and properly process the separate documents. In order to create a gap between the documents being fed, the feeder  54  runs at a slower linear speed than the transport  58 . As the transport takes documents away at increased speed, gaps are created between the documents. 
         [0023]    Because of the limited physical size of the document processors in a distributed environment, it is necessary to allow the documents being fed to accelerate to transport speed as soon as the document is in the transport section. This is before the document is completely out of the feeder. Therefore, the nudger and feed wheels  50  and  54 , respectively, connect to their respective drive shafts through one-way clutches  51  and  55 , respectively. These clutches release from their drive shafts when the document is pulled forward at increased speed by the transport  58 . 
         [0024]    An embodiment of the invention takes advantage of the readily reversible rotation of the feeder stepper motor  52  and an additional one-way clutch  63 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the arm  60  mounts to the feed motor shaft  62  via a one away clutch  63  mounted in the opposite sense to the one way clutches  51  and  55  in the nudger and feed wheels  50  and  54 , respectively. That is, the one-way clutch  51  at nudger wheel  50  allows nudger wheel  50  to be driven in the direction indicated by arrow  70  and the one-way clutch  55  at feed wheel  54  allows feed wheel  54  to be driven in the direction indicated by arrow  72 . The one-way clutch  63  at arm  60  allows arm  60  to be driven in the direction indicated by arrow  74 . 
         [0025]    In operation, after the operator has inserted documents between the flag  22  and the wall  20 , the motor  52  would rotate in reverse (direction of arrow  74 ) momentarily. This would engage the one way clutch  63  in arm  60 , driving the nudger wheel  50  rapidly toward the documents and forcing back flag  22 . The motor would then rotate forward, returning arm  60  and nudger wheel  50  to their initial positions. In the time between being forced back by the nudger wheel  50  and being returned to their initial position by flag  22 , the documents would be free to align their bottom edges on the document processor baseplate under the influence of gravity. This momentary process could be repeated multiple times if necessary to better prepare the documents. When the document preparation process was complete, motor  52  rotates forward, disengaging arm  60 , engaging the nudger wheel  50  and feed wheel  54 , and feeding documents into the transport  58 . 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , gear  80 , driven by motor  52 , is connected with belt  82  to gear  84  which drives feed wheel  54  through the one-way clutch  55  in the direction of arrow  72 . Gear  86 , driven by motor  52 , is connected with belt  88  to gear  90  which drives nudger wheel  50  through the one-way clutch  56  in the direction of arrow  70 . Shaft  62  drives arm  60  through the one-way clutch  63  in the direction of arrow  74 . Thus, in operation of this embodiment, reverse driving of motor  52  will rotate arm  60  without rotating nudger wheel  50  and feed wheel  54 . In turn, forward driving of motor  52  will rotate nudger wheel  50  and feed wheel  54  without rotating arm  60  but allowing arm  60  to return to its original position due to the force from the flag  22  (from the flag spring or other flag force providing arrangement as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art of document processing) transferred through the document stack to the arm  60  at nudger wheel  50 . 
         [0027]    A further improvement could be to weight the flag  22  (weight  23 ) in order to adjust its response to the action of arm  60 . Making the flag heavier, given the same flag spring force, would cause the flag to return to its normal position more slowly, giving the documents additional time to align themselves. 
         [0028]    As well, the number of arm strokes could be altered to provide the optimum balance between document alignment and preparation time. The number of arm strokes could be altered automatically, ultimately in response to document processor performance, or could be altered at the discretion of the operator (allowing the operator to apply the amount of jogging required based upon experience), or by a combination of both approaches. 
         [0029]    A different, further improvement could be obtained by modulating the angular acceleration of arm  60 , thus altering the impact upon and the reaction of flag  22  to the impulse applied to it. Those of ordinary skill in the art of document processing will understand that modulation of the arm impulse allows the effective alteration of both the amount and the duration of flag force reduction during each arm cycle. 
         [0030]    In order to better appreciate some advantages associated with embodiments of the invention, consider some numbers relating to document jogging. 
         [0031]    A personal check, by far the most common document processed, typically weighs 1 gram-force. To properly feed documents, they must be pressed against the nudger wheel with a force of about 100 gram-force. The friction of document against document is typically 0.5. That is, if two documents are pressed together with 100 gram-force, it would take 50 gram-force to slide one document relative to another. This creates an acceleration of 50 times gravity, or 50 g. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that to apply such accelerations to a typical stack of 100 documents pressed against the nudger wheel, weighing in total, 100 gram-force, will require a mechanism capable of applying peak forces in the range of 50 g×100 gram (5 kgf or approximately 11 lbf). This is typically considered greater than the weight of the entire machine in which such a mechanism would be contemplated to be included, which machine forms the only reaction mass against which such a mechanism would operate. Inclusion of such a mechanism capable of such forces into a machine of this size would result in a complete machine which would jump off the table on which it stands whenever the mechanism is actuated. Thus, embodiments of the invention have the advantage that such high peak forces are not required because the flag force is relieved. 
         [0032]    While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.