Patent ID: 7192023

Claim:
A bill handling apparatus comprising: a casing having openings formed at an upper part of the front surface thereof for insertion and discharge of bills therethrough; a deposit/withdrawal unit including a bill introducing mechanism having a discriminating device for discriminating bills and adapted to introduce the bills inserted through one of the openings, a bill discharging mechanism for discharging the bills to another of the openings, and a conveying mechanism which is driven in forward and reverse directions, one end of the conveying mechanism being selectively brought into communication with the bill introducing mechanism and the bill discharging mechanism via a switcher at a rear part of the deposit/withdrawal unit, and an opposed end of the conveying mechanism being adapted to convey the bills along a bill conveyance path extending to a bottom end portion of the deposit/withdrawal unit; a base unit including a bill storage section, a conveying mechanism which is driven in forward and reverse directions for conveying the bills within a specified range from an upper end of the base unit behind the bill storage section, a taking-in and taking-out mechanism which is driven in forward and reverse directions to take in and out the bills between the conveying mechanism and the bill storage section, and a bill stacking mechanism having a table for supporting bills, a pressing plate, a bill separating member movable up and down and a movable member for moving the separating member up and down to separate bills supported on the supporting table and to hold the bills against the pressing plate, and a lifter mechanism to move the movable member up and down; at least one intermediate unit, the at least one intermediate unit including a bill storage section, a conveying mechanism which is driven in forward and reverse directions to convey the bills within a range extending from an upper end to a bottom end of the at least one intermediate unit behind the bill storage section, a taking-in and taking-out mechanism which is driven in forward and reverse directions to take in and out the bills between the conveying mechanism and the bill storage section, a switcher for switching a bill moving direction between the conveying mechanism and the taking-in and taking-out mechanism and a bill stacking mechanism having a table for supporting a bill, a pressing plate, a bill separating member movable up and down and a movable member for moving the separating member up and down to separate bills supported on the supporting table and to hold the bills against the pressing plate, the movable member of the at least one intermediate unit being adapted to be coupled with the movable member of the base unit or another said intermediate unit to move therewith when the units are installed within the casing one on another.