Patent ID: 7806396

Claim:
A paper note handling apparatus comprising: a pay-in and pay-out mouth through which a paper note is paid in or paid out; a conveyance means for conveying the paper note; a discrimination part to discriminate authenticity and denomination of the conveyed paper note; a temporary hold part to temporarily hold the paper note discriminated by the discrimination part; a storing part to store the paper note; and a shift means to shift a position of the paper note in a widthwise direction of conveyance; wherein the shift means rotates in a direction inclined relative to a direction of conveyance of the paper note and comes into contact with the paper note to shift the position of the paper note in the widthwise direction of conveyance; wherein the shift means includes shift presence and absence switching means for switching between a shift execution state, in which the shifting of the paper note is executed by the shift means, and a shift non-execution state, in which the shifting of the paper note is not executed by the shift means; and wherein the conveyance means having a conveyance force also during the shifting of the paper note, the conveyance means including: a first conveyance means; a second conveyance means provided at a further side of the shift direction than the first conveyance means; and a pushing-force switching means that increases a pushing force of the second conveyance means on the paper note to cause the second conveyance means to cooperate with the first conveyance means to convey the paper note when the paper note is not to be shifted, and decreases the pushing force on the paper note so as not to obstruct shifting of the paper note when the paper note is to be shifted.