Patent GB-876626-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for acting in turn on documents in a pile thereof
IPC: G06M9/02
Filed: 1957-01-30
Abstract: 876,626. Countng-apparatus. ABELL, G. E. B., CHADDER, H. L., PRICE, P. R., and BUCKLE, G. Jan. 27, 1958 [Jan. 30, 1957], No. 3335/57. Class 106 (1). Apparatus for acting in turn on documents in a pack or pile comprises means for initiating separation of the documents individually in turn, means for increasing separation of each document and sensing means for sensing a property of the separated part of each document. The embodiments of Figs. 1-57 constitute improvements in the counting apparatus described in Specification 784,209. First embodiment.-As shown in Fig. 1, a tubular nozzle 1 is surrounded by a rotatable slide valve 2 having openings 4 adapted once in each revolution of the valve 2 to be connected by an opening in the tubular nozzle to a vacuum source. A release member 7 rotates eccentrically of the axis of the nozzle 1 and is adapted to increase the separation of banknotes 5 successively detached from a pile 6 by the action of the vacuum and transfer the separated portion of the note from the pile 6 to the pile 10, the remote portions of the note being clamped together. The member 7 carries brushes 13 adapted to contact the valve 2 during part of the revolution of the member 7, if no note is present. A cam 17 rotating with the member 7, Fig. 4, is arranged to open contacts 18 for part of the period during which the brushes 13 are adapted to contact the valve 2 so that, should a note be present, the circuit through an electromechanical counter 21 is temporarily interrupted to increase by one the number registered by the counter. Second embodiment, Figs. 6-9 (only Fig. 6 shown).-The brushes 13 are replaced by contacts 27 between which the member 7 provides an electrical circuit when no note is present. The function of the cam 17 of the first embodiment in providing a circuit between the counter 21 and earth is performed by a transparent rotatable disc 32 having an opaque sector adapted to form an electrical pulse when it interrupts the beam of light between a lamp 34 and photo-cell 35. Alternatively, the pulse may be provided by means of the current generated in a stationary coil by the motion of a permanent magnet moving with the member 7 (Figs. 10, 11, not shown). Third embodiment, Figs. 12-17 (only Figs. 12 and 17 shown).-The contacts 27 of the second embodiment are replaced by two sets of spring-urged ball contacts 47, 48 mounted in a member 49. When no document is present, the contacts 47 are first bridged to energize a relay RL1, Fig. 17, which holds over contacts RL1-1 but is de-energized by the closure of contacts 48. Fourth embodiment, Figs. 18-21 (only Fig. 18 shown). The presence of a note is detected by a photo-cell 64 and lamp 63 which are mounted in a member 65, a lens 66 focusing light through an opening 67 in the member 65. When a document passes the opening 67, light is reflected therefrom on to the photo-cell 64. The photo-cell and lamp may be duplicated. The photo-cell or photo-cells are arranged in the energizing circuit of a relay which has a set of contacts in the circuit of an electromechanical counter. Electronic pulse forming circuits.-The above embodiments may employ electronic counting circuits in place of the electromechanical counters. The second embodiment may employ the pulse-forming circuit of Fig. 24 (not shown) together with a multi-cathode electronic counting circuit (Figs. 51, 52, not shown) but preferably the pulse forming circuit of Fig. 25 is employed. The construction of Figs. 6-9 is modified (Fig. 22, not shown) by the provision of two photo-cells 82, 83 and associated lamps to provide two spaced pulses. When no note 5 is present, a point 97 is earthed over the contacts 27, but when a note is present, the point 97 is only earthed while the photo-cell 83 conducts, and when the photo-cell 83 is interrupted, a thyratron V1 fires thus causing the side V2A of an amplifier and pulse former stage V2 to conduct which causes a bi-stable multivibrator to change its state thereby providing an output which is differentiated by a capacitor C3 to give an output pulse at the terminal 76. The multivibrator is reset by a pulse from the photo-cell 82 which fires a thyratron V4. The multivibrator is initially set to a particular one of its stable states by a switch 103 which is operated when the clamping plate 11 is moved for insertion of a pile of banknotes (Fig. 23, not shown). Pulse-forming circuits for the third embodiment (Figs. 28, 29, not shown), and the fourth embodiment (Figs. 31, 32, not shown) are described. Fifth embodiment-sensing banknote numbers, Figs. 34-38 (only Figs. 34, 38 shown).- The presence of numbers printed in magnetizable ink is sensed by one of four reading heads, one for each of four possible positions of the numbers, the heads comprising permanent magnets 147 adapted to magnetize the ink which is then sensed by a pick-up head 149. The magnetic elements are supported in an insulating block 154. Assuming that the banknotes have seven digit serial numbers, then a circuit is adapted to provide a pulse to be counted for each seven pulses provided by the pick-up head 149. Pulses from one of the heads 149 are amplified by a valve V13 and shaped at V14. The shaped pulses pass to a Miller integrator valve V15 which when a predetermined voltage level is reached applies a pulse to an amplifier V16 and inverter V17A the output of which is fed back via a delay 162 to reset the integrator V15. The delay determines the length of the output pulse at 76. An alternative circuit employing a multi-cathode counting tube instead of a Miller integrator is described (Fig. 40, not shown). Sixth embodiment-sensing metal threads, Figs. 41-47 (only Figs. 44, 45 shown).-Metal threads are detected by four conducting plates 181-184 mounted in an insulating body 185, which plates are connected in pairs by conductors 186, 187, the conductor 186 being connected to an oscillator 188, Fig. 45, so that when a metal or metallized thread capacitively connects the plates 181, 183 with 182, 184, a pulse is obtained in the conductor 187 to set a bistable circuit 194 which is reset by a pulse obtained from a magnetic pulse generator 196 which may be mounted on the shaft 23, driving the member 7. A pulse to be counted is thus obtained at the terminal 76 for each banknote 5. A detailed circuit is described (Figs. 46, 47). Seventh embodiment (Figs. 48-50, not shown). -Both magnetic reading heads for sensing magnetizable numbers and plates for detecting capacitively metal threads are provided. Electronic counting circuit, Fig. 52.-The circuit shown is adapted for checking the number of banknotes in packets each of which should contain 100 notes. The pulses from any of the pulse-forming circuits described above are fed to an input terminal 212 and pass to a cold-cathode tetrode V28 feeding a ten-cathode units counting tube V29. A twelve-cathode counting tube V31 counts the tens. The outputs from the " 10 " cathode of the tube V31 and the "0" cathode of the tube V29 are taken to a gate comprising rectifiers D5, D6, D7, which is also supplied with an input from a thyratron V32 which is fired by an "end of count pulse" from the switch 103 operated by the clamping plate 11 when the counted bundle of notes is removed, so that a thyratron V33 is fired if the correct count of 100 has been attained. A " correct " relay RL6 and "correct" electromechanical counter CM2 are then operated. Should the thyratron V32 fail to fire, due to an incorrect count, the thyratron V33, the relay RL4 in its anode circuit operates to cause an " incorrect " relay RL7 and " incorrect " counter CM1 to operate. The counting tubes V29, V31 are reset by contacts RL4-1 of the relay RL4. Reading coded information, Fig. 53.-Reading heads 146 are positioned to read timing marks 223 and coded marks as shown in the lower row, and the signals produced may be arranged to fire thyratrons indicating the number represented by the code. The number of marks in each row may be counted and a thyratron arranged to fire only when each number is correct. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 58 which is a modification of that described in Specifications 769,065 and 775,419, a disc 231 provided with five sucker heads 233-237 rotates anticlockwise, the heads rotating clockwise. Initial separation of a note 5 from the pile 6 is by the nearest sucker head, e.g. the head 234, the separation being increased by the following head. Contacts carried by an insulating member 49a are actuated as described in the third embodiment, the successive sucker heads replacing the member 7. A table of values of the components used in the various electronic circuits is given in the Specification. Specifications 557,086, 685,288, and 876,627 are also referred to.