Patent ID: 8640849

Claim:
A paper sheet processing apparatus, comprising: an insertion slot into which a paper sheet is inserted; a traveling route through which the paper sheet having been inserted from the insertion slot is conveyed in a forward traveling direction, the traveling route including a first traveling route connected to the insertion slot and a second traveling route extending with a predetermined angle to the first traveling route; a halt wall extending downward from a frame to configure the second traveling route; and a shutter member provided directly behind the halt wall with respect to the forward traveling direction and in the second traveling route that prevents the paper sheet from being withdrawn toward the insertion slot, the shutter member including a movable piece shaped in a wedge shape and including a root part, a locking part, a leading end portion, and a regulating portion, the locking part projecting from the root part on one end side in a longitudinal direction of the root part, the leading end portion being on another end side in the longitudinal direction, and the regulating part being formed on an upstream side of the leading end portion in the forward traveling direction, a spindle rotatably provided in the root part of the movable piece, and a biasing unit having a linear shape with a first end fixed to the locking part and a second end fixed to the frame to provide a linear contraction force between the first end and the second end, the contraction force biasing the movable piece to rotate around the spindle in a backward traveling direction to keep the second traveling route closed by causing the regulating part to contact the halt wall to support the contraction force and keep the leading end portion positioned across the second traveling route while the paper sheet is not in contact with the movable piece, wherein the movable piece of the shutter member is configured to rotate around the spindle and move the leading end portion across the second traveling route to open the second traveling route as the paper sheet travels in the forward traveling direction and the paper sheet pushes the movable piece, and to rotate back around the spindle in response to the contraction force to close the second traveling route by moving the leading end portion back across the second traveling route after the paper sheet passes the shutter member.