Bill and voucher/ticket handling apparatus
The invention relates to apparatus for use in the handling of banknotes, tickets and/or vouchers. The apparatus allows the same to be inserted into the apparatus through an aperture and to then be fed to storage or a printing apparatus. The apparatus allows the dispensing of bills, tickets or vouchers and the same are dispensed through the same aperture thereby reducing the size of the apparatus as only one aperture and feed means is required for inserting and dispensing which is in contrast to known apparatus which have an aperture for inserting and a separate aperture via which the banknotes, tickets or vouchers are dispensed.
1. Apparatus for the receipt and provision of bills and/or vouchers, said apparatus including a printer provided to allow the printing of information onto a paper or card to create a voucher and further incorporating an aperture through which bills or vouchers can pass between said apparatus and a user, and feed means which cause the passage of the bill and/or voucher within said apparatus and characterised in that the feed means leading to and from the aperture can be driven in a first, forward direction and second, reverse direction selectively so as to allow a bill or voucher to be moved in a first direction from the aperture into the apparatus and in a second direction from the apparatus to the aperture and the aperture through which the bill or voucher is placed into the apparatus is the same aperture through which a bill or voucher passes to leave the apparatus and the printer is located at an end of the feed means opposing an end at which said aperture is located such that said voucher, once printed, is passed by the feed means to the said same aperture to allow the same to be received and removed from the device by a user.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that the paper or card is fed into the apparatus via the aperture and moved to the printer to be printed on and then fed in reverse to the aperture by the feed means.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that the information which is printed on the voucher, represents a sum of money which has been won by the user via a means with which the apparatus is incorporated or connected.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that the information which is printed on the voucher is a receipt representative of the sum of money which has been input by the user into a means with which the apparatus is incorporated or connected.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that the ticket or voucher has applied thereto, a machine readable code which is representative of a cash value.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that an input bill or voucher is moved by the feed means to a position at which analysis of the bill or voucher is performed in order to identify that the same is valid and/or the value of the bill or voucher.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6 characterised in that if the bill or voucher is indicated as being valid, then the same is moved by the feed means into a storage location.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7 characterised in that a second feed means is provided to move the bill or voucher to the storage location in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the first feed means.
9. Apparatus according to claim 7 characterised in that the printer is located intermediate the aperture and the storage location.
10. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that the bill or voucher which leaves the apparatus is the same bill or voucher which has been placed into the apparatus by the user in the same condition, or in an adapted form by printing thereon.
11. Gaming and/or payment apparatus incorporating the apparatus as defined in claim 1 .
12. Apparatus for the receipt and provision of bills and/or vouchers, said apparatus including a printer and further incorporating an aperture through which bills or vouchers can pass between said apparatus and a user, and feed means which cause the passage of the bill and/or voucher within said apparatus and characterised in that feed means leading to and from the aperture can be driven in a first, forward direction so as to allow a bill or voucher to be moved in a first direction into the apparatus and in a second, reverse direction so as to allow a bill or voucher printed by the apparatus to move from the printer to external of the apparatus and the aperture through which the bill or voucher is placed into the apparatus is the same aperture through which a bill or voucher passes to leave the apparatus and the printer is located at an end of the feed means opposing an end at which said aperture is located such that said voucher, once printed, is passed by the feed means to the said same aperture to allow the same to be received and removed from the apparatus by a user.
13. Gaming and/or payment apparatus incorporating the apparatus as defined in claim 12 .
14. Apparatus for the receipt and provision of bills and/or vouchers, said apparatus including a printer and further incorporating an aperture through which bills or vouchers can pass between said apparatus and a user, and a feeder which cause the passage of the bill and/or voucher within said apparatus and characterised in that said feeder leading to and from the aperture can be driven in a first, forward direction so as to allow a bill or voucher to be moved in a first direction into the apparatus and in a second, reverse direction so as to allow a bill or voucher printed by the apparatus to move from the printer to external of the apparatus and the aperture through which the bill or voucher is placed into the device is the same aperture through which a bill or voucher passes to leave the device.