Granted Patent B2

US 8,777,222 · App. 13/308,157 · Granted Jul 15, 2014

Abstract

Claims (72)

1. Apparatus for stacking items of media in a media container region, comprising:

a rotatable roller element arranged to rotate about a longitudinal axis to locate an incoming item of media at a deposit position within a container region;

at least one trailing edge engaging element that engages with a trailing edge region of the incoming item of media and urges the trailing edge region towards a stack position;

at least one preceding item edge engaging element that engages with an edge region of a preceding item of media to urge said edge region of the preceding item of media away from the incoming item of media; and

said at least one trailing edge engaging element, comprises a plurality of flexible paddle elements and said at least one preceding item edge engaging element comprises a plurality of flexible flap elements, said plurality of paddle elements and said plurality of flap elements being supported in a circumferentially spaced apart relationship on said roller element and arranged to rotate simultaneously therewith.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

the flap elements extend further from a common axis of rotation than the paddle elements.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

the roller element is a driven roller opposed with a respective pinch idler element.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a support surface and an opposed pinch plate element, the plate element being resiliently biased against the support surface to provide a pinch point to locate a pinch region of an incoming item of media; wherein

the support surface and pinch plate element are located whereby an item of media held at the pinch point has a trailing edge region located for engagement with said at least one trailing edge engaging element.

5. An automated teller machine (ATM) comprising a deposit module comprising the apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each item of media comprises at least one of a currency note and a check.

6. A method of stacking items of media in a media container, comprising the steps of:

rotating a roller element about a longitudinal axis to locate an incoming item of media at a deposit position in a media container region;

urging an edge region of a preceding item of media away from the incoming item of media via at least one preceding item edge engaging element, the at least one preceding item edge engaging element including a plurality of flexible flap elements;

urging a trailing edge of the incoming item of media towards a stack position via at least one trailing edge engagement element, the at least one trailing edge engagement element including a plurality of flexible paddle elements; and

as the roller element rotates, simultaneously rotating the plurality of flexible paddle members and the flexible flap elements arranged in a circumferentially spaced apart relationship on the roller element, rotation of a one of said flexible flap elements, urging said edge region and rotation of a one of said flexible paddle elements, urging said trailing edge.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:

locating items of media one-by-one at a presentation location proximate to said roller element; and

subsequently locating each item from said presentation location to said deposit position by rotating the roller element.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:

pinching an incoming item of media located at the deposit position by urging a plate element against a support surface, a pinch region of the incoming item of media at the deposit position being located between the plate element and the support surface.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:

constantly rotating said roller element thereby constantly rotating said plurality of flap elements and said plurality of paddle elements; and

as the roller element rotates, repeatedly bending each flap-element and paddle element against an arcuate support surface located in a spaced apart juxtaposed relationship with said roller element.

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the method is performed by a computer having a memory executing one or more programs of instructions which are tangibly embodied in a program storage medium readable by the computer.

11. Apparatus for stacking items of media in a media container region, comprising:

a rotatable roller element arranged to rotate about a longitudinal axis to locate an incoming item of media at a deposit position within a container region;

at least one trailing edge engaging element that engages with a trailing edge region of the incoming item of media and urges the trailing edge region towards a stack position;

at least one preceding item edge engaging element that engages with an edge region of a preceding item of media to urge said an edge region away from the incoming item of media;

a support surface and an opposed pinch plate element, the plate element being resiliently biased against the support surface to provide a pinch point to locate a pinch region of an incoming item of media;

wherein the support surface and pinch plate element are located whereby an item of media held at the pinch point has a trailing edge region located for engagement with said at least one trailing edge engaging element; and

the support surface has a curved cross-section to cup an incoming item of media as it is pinched between the support surface and the plate element.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:

said at least one trailing edge engaging element, comprises a plurality of flexible paddle elements and said at least one preceding item edge engaging element comprises a plurality of flexible flap elements, said plurality of paddle elements and said plurality of flap elements being supported in a circumferentially spaced apart relationship on said roller element and arranged to rotate simultaneously therewith.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:

the flap elements extend further from a common axis of rotation than the paddle elements.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:

the roller element is a driven roller opposed with a respective pinch idler element.

15. An automated teller machine (ATM) comprising a deposit module comprising the apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each item of media comprises at least one of a currency note and a check.

16. Apparatus for stacking items of media in a media container region, comprising:

a rotatable roller element arranged to rotate about a longitudinal axis to locate an incoming item of media at a deposit position within a container region;

at least one trailing edge engaging element that engages with a trailing edge region of the incoming item of media and urges the trailing edge region towards a stack position;

at least one preceding item edge engaging element that engages with an edge region of a preceding item of media to urge said an edge region away from the incoming item of media;

a support surface and an opposed pinch plate element, the plate element being resiliently biased against the support surface to provide a pinch point to locate a pinch region of an incoming item of media;

wherein the support surface and pinch plate element are located whereby an item of media held at the pinch point has a trailing edge region located for engagement with said trailing edge engaging element; and

the pinch plate element is a substantially planar plate member having a dished region at a first end region thereof where the plate element is pivotably mounted and a further end region comprising a free end biased against the support surface.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising:

said at least one trailing edge engaging element, comprises a plurality of flexible paddle elements and said at least one preceding item edge engaging element comprises a plurality of flexible flap elements, said plurality of paddle elements and said plurality of flap elements being supported in a circumferentially spaced apart relationship on said roller element and arranged to rotate simultaneously therewith.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 , further comprising:

the flap elements extend further from a common axis of rotation than the paddle elements.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising:

the roller element is a driven roller opposed with a respective pinch idler element.

20. An automated teller machine (ATM) comprising a deposit module comprising the apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein each item of media comprises at least one of a currency note and a check.

21. A method of stacking items of media in a media container, comprising the steps of:

rotating a roller element about a longitudinal axis to locate an incoming item of media at a deposit position in a media container region;

urging an edge region of a preceding item of media away from the incoming item of media via at least one preceding item edge engaging element;

urging a trailing edge of the incoming item of media towards a stack position via at least one trailing edge engagement element;

pinching an incoming item of media located at the deposit position by urging a plate element against a support surface, a pinch region of the incoming item of media at the deposit position being located between the plate element and the support surface; and

supporting the item of media in a cupped upright position by pinching the item of media.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21 , further comprising the steps of:

as the roller element rotates, simultaneously rotating a plurality of flexible paddle members and flexible flap elements arranged in a circumferentially spaced apart relationship on the roller element, rotation of a one of said flexible flap elements, urging said an edge region and rotation of a one of said flexible paddle elements, urging said a trailing edge.

23. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the method is performed by a computer having a memory executing one or more programs of instructions which are tangibly embodied in a program storage medium readable by the computer.

24. The method as claimed in claim 21 , further comprising the steps of:

locating items of media one-by-one at a presentation location proximate to said roller element; and

subsequently locating each item from said presentation location to said deposit position by rotating the roller element.

25. The method as claimed in claim 21 , further comprising the steps of:

pinching an incoming item of media located at the deposit position by urging a plate element against a support surface, a pinch region of the incoming item of media at the deposit position being located between the plate element and the support surface.

26. The method as claimed in claim 22 , further comprising the steps of:

constantly rotating said roller element thereby constantly rotating said plurality of flap elements and said plurality of paddle elements; and

as the roller element rotates, repeatedly bending each flap element and paddle element against an arcuate support surface located in a spaced apart juxtaposed relationship with said roller element.

Assignments (10)