Technical Field.

The present invention relates to an apparatus with - _. cassette for valuable documents,e.g. banknotes, and

^■ * _\ more specifically, to an apparatus with a cassette that includes a chamber which is defined by walls, a bottom, and a cover assembly, and in which there is arranged a displaceable plate intended as a support for valuable documents.

Background Prior Art.

Cassettes that are intended for the safe-keeping of valuable documents, such as banknotes, cheques, etc., are known to the art, for example from Swedish Patent Specification Ser. No. 7803222-4 (corresponding to US Patent Specification 4 283 097) which teaches a lock- able cassette which is provided with a cover or lid and which is encased in a casing. The cassette is locked and closed when located outside the casing, but when inserted into the casing is unlocked and opened, by mechanical or electrical activation of a catch, in accordance with a pre-set programme. The Swedish Patent Specification 7704874-2 (corresponding to US Patent Specification 4 252 251) teaches a simi¬ lar cassette provided with a lifting device for lift¬ ing a bundle of banknotes located in the cassette, in dependence on the distance between the banknotes fed sequentially from the cassette.

Cassettes that are constructed in accordance with the "" aforecited Patent Specifications are intended for

^"rf automatically dispensing banknotes, or other valuable

^■ ~K documents. Cassettes for depositing valuable docu¬ ments are also known. For example a Swedish Patent

Specification Ser. No. 7406187-0 (corresponding to US Patent Specification 4 045 017) teaches a cassette hav¬ ing a lockable cover or lid and banknote infeed means, in which when a banknote is fed to the cassette chamber any banknotes which may already be present therein are moved away from the close vicinity of the infeed means and subsequent to feeding in the banknote are again caused to fill said chamber, thereby placing said bank¬ note together with the remaining banknotes in the cas¬ sette.

Summary of the Invention.

Hitherto, cassettes have been purposely constructed with a view to whether the cassette is to be used for automatic dispensing or automatic depositing of valu¬ able documents, such as banknotes, to and from custom¬ er facilities, cashier facilities, etc. This limits the usefulness of the cassettes to some extent, since normally an empty dispenser cassette must first be filled manually with banknotes before it can again be put to use, or conversely a full depositing cassette must first be emptied. The object of the present in¬ vention is to provide an apparatus with cassette so constructed that a full cassette from an infeed or depositing apparatus intended for use by the general public can be immediately inserted into a dispensing apparatus, intended for the general public or for a cashier, or into a sorting apparatus, without requiring any intermediate handling of the contents, and that an empty cassette taken from a dispenser can be used in a depositing or infeed apparatus.

An apparatus with cassette of this kind will save time (it is no longer necessary to re-fill or empty a cas-

sette) and also increases security, since it eliminates the need of removing and inserting banknotes manually.

Thus, the same chamber in the cassette is used either to accommodate banknotes which are to be dispensed in response to an order by an authorized user, or to re¬ ceive banknotes which are fed thereinto in the form of deposits. The chamber has arranged therein a displace- able plate which serves to support valuable documents in the cassette and which is arranged to be displaced in a given direction (e.g. downwards) when documents are fed into the cassette, in dependence on the number of valuable documents inserted, and to be displaced in the opposite direction (upwards) when valuable docu¬ ments are dispensed from the cassette, in dependence on the number of valuable documents dispensed.

An apparatus with cassette constructed in accordance with the invention has the characteristic features set forth in the following claims.

Description of the Drawings.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying, schematic draw¬ ings, in which

Figure 1 illustrates a cassette with an outer cover member, which is closed, and an inner cover member which presses against a bundle of banknotes;

Figure 2a illustrates the cassette when used as an in¬ feed cassette, with the inner cover member raised, and incorporating a plate for supporting a bundle of bank¬ notes;

Figure 2b is a side view of the cassette illustrated in Figure 2a, and shows a compacting device in a rais¬ ed position, this compacting device forming part of an infeed or deposit apparatus in which the cassette is housed;

Figure 2c illustrates the arrangement of Figure 2b, but with the compacting device in a lowered position;

Figure 3a illustrates the cassette when used as a dis¬ pensing cassette, with the inner cover member only partially closed;

Figure 3b is a side view of the dispenser cassette, with the cassette located adjacent a feed means;

Figure 4 shows the cassette when inserted into a dis¬ pensing or outfeed apparatus.

Description of Preferred Embodiments. The cassette illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a chamber which is defined by walls, a bottom, and a cover assembly, and in which there is arranged a dis- placeable plate which is intended to serve as a sup¬ port for valuable documents, vide Figure 2a. By cover assembly is meant here an assembly which includes an outer cover member 11 and an inner cover member 12 (shown in broken lines) which in Figure 1 are both shown in a closed position, so that the outer cover member 11 effectively prevents the withdrawal of valu¬ able documents from the cassette and the inner cover member 12 presses against a bundle 13 of valuable doc¬ uments located in the cassette chamber, said documents being referred to hereinafter solely as banknotes.

The outer cover member is constructed in a manner which when the cassette is inserted into a dispensing or infeed (deposit) apparatus, enables the outer cover member to be first extended outwardly and then rotated downwards, into abutment with the front short side of the cassette so as to secrete a cassette handle (vide Figure 2a) .

Figure 2a illustrates the cassette of Figure 1 when used as an infeed or deposit cassette, with the outer cover member 11 extended (lowered) and the inner cover member 12 raised. It will be understood that for the sake of clarity, no part of the outer cassette casing has been shown in the Figure, although the provision of such a casing is normally necessary in order for the cover members 11 and 12 to move to the aforesaid positions, by insertion into the cassette. The afore¬ mentioned displaceable plate is referenced 21 and is mounted on a rotatable feed spindle 23 with the aid of fastener means 22 (nuts) which form part of the cas¬ ing, said spindle being turned by a motor 25, through gearing 24. Thus, when banknotes are fed into the cassette, the plate 21 is automatically displaced downwards in the cassette, through a distance which is commensurate with the number of banknotes deposited therein. A counter is provided for counting the num¬ ber of banknotes deposited, these banknotes being fed sequentially into the cassette. When a pre-determined number of incoming banknotes has been counted, the motor 25 is energized to rotate the spindle 23 through a given number of turns, thereby to lower the plate 21, with the bundle 13 of banknotes resting thereon, to a corresponding extent. In this regard the plate can either be lowered substantially continuously, or

more intermittently, in which latter case the plate is lowered through a greater distance (about 10mm) sub¬ sequent ^* to and correspondingly with the receipt of a large number of banknotes (e.g. one hundred) .

Figure 2b shows the cassette, with the inner cover member 12 raised, together with the bundle 13 of bank¬ notes, and also shows a separate compacting device 26 which forms part of the infeed of the infeed or depos¬ it apparatus and which is intended to compact together the banknotes previously fed into the cassette, and to sense the real level of the compacted banknotes in the cassette. The compacting device is arranged to exe¬ cute first translatory movement and then to. rotate anti-clockwise while bearing against the bundle of banknotes located in the cassette, vide Figure 2c, so as to pack down the banknotes froming said bundle, this procedure being initiated subsequent to feeding a pre-determined number of banknotes into the cas¬ sette, for example one hundred. Upon completion of this compacting cycle, the compacting device sends to the motor 25 a control signal instructing the motor to displace the plate 21, with the bundle of banknotes lying thereon, through a distance which is so adapted that the free level of the bundle 13 is brought to a pre-determined level, such as to enable further bank¬ notes to be accommodated, in a number equal to the aforesaid pre-determined number, e.g. one hundred.

As will readily be understood, the programme for con¬ trolling the movement ^" of the plate 13 can be modified to comply with the manner in which the infeed appara¬ tus with cassette is expected to be used. A conceiv¬ able modification in this regard is one in which the

compacting device 26 will only carry out the function¬ al steps of a) packing together the deposited bank¬ notes, b) sensing the real level of the free surface of the bundle and, c) if the sensed real level dif¬ fers from a pre-determined level, send a controlled signal to the motor 25 for displacement of the plate 21, subsequent to the receipt of a given, larger num¬ ber of banknotes, e.g. five hundred.

Figure 3a illustrates the cassette of Figure 1 when used as a dispenser cassette, with the outer cover member 11 extended/lowered and the inner cover member 12 in a partially closed position hereinafter referred to as the second position. The banknotes are dispens¬ ed from the cassette in the direction shown by the arrow, with the aid of a feed means 31, vide Figure 3b, which forms part of the _. dispensing or outfeed apparatus, and which comprises an endless belt 311 which can be brought into mechanical contact with the uppermost surface of the bundle, through an aperture 121 provided in the inner cover member 12, vide Figure 3a.

When the cassette is used as a cassette dispenser in banknote dispensing apparatus, the feed spindle 23 illustrated in Figure 2a is rotated in an opposite direction to that in which the spindle is rotated in the aforedescribed depositing or infeed embodiment, so that the plate 21, with the bundle 13 of banknotes resting thereon, is moved upwards at a rate commen¬ surate with that at which the banknotes are dispensed.

Located in the transport path of banknotes in the dis¬ pensing apparatus is a sensor which detects, for ex-

ample, the leading edge of the sequentially dispensed banknotes, and upon so doing produces control signals corresponding to the temporal or spatial distance be¬ tween dispensed banknotes, these control signals being sent to the motor 25, which in response to said sig¬ nals causes the plate 21 , with the bundle of banknotes resting thereon, to be displaced through a distance such that the pressure exerted by the uppermost bank¬ note of the bundle 13 against the belt 311 complies with a pre-determined value suitable for the dispens¬ ing process.

Figure 4 illustrates the cassette inserted in the dis¬ pensing apparatus (only partially illustrated) . This illustration shows the stage at which a banknote 131 has just been dispensed from the distal, hidden open¬ ing of the cassette, through rotation of the apparatus feed means 31 in an anti-clockwise direction, and, subsequently to being turned through 180 , is about to be dispensed in the direction of the arrow, so as ultimately to leave the apparatus, via an internal transport path in said apparatus,at an outfeed open¬ ing, where the banknote is accessible to a customer, cashier etc.

Thus, the cassette can be used both as an infeed or deposit cassette and as a dispensing or outfeed cas¬ sette. In the former case, the cassette is inserted into a deposit or infeed apparatus, which presents an infeed opening to the customer etc. and which is pro¬ vided with a transport path in a known manner,leading from the infeed opening to the cassette. In the lat¬ ter case, the cassette is inserted into a dispensing apparatus, which is provided with an outfeed opening

externally accessible to a customer, cashier, etc, and a transport path which leads from the cassette to the outfeed aperture.

In order for the novel cassette to be able to function in the manner intended, it is important that the cas¬ sette is sufficiently stable and robust to withstand the relatively harsh treatment to which it will prob¬ ably be subjected, as a result of the progressively increased use to which such cassettes are put and as a result of transportation between various apparatus in various localities. To this end, the cassette is strengthened by means of steel rods which extend through holes provided in the cassette walls and which are screwed at one end into the bottom of the cassette and at the other end are fastened in an upper part corresponding to said bottom.

When the cassette is inserted into an apparatus or removed therefrom, both the inner cover member 12 and the plate 21 will be correspondingly acted upon by the apparatus in question.

When the cassette is inserted into a depositing ap¬ paratus, the relative movement between cassette and apparatus causes the inner cover member 12 to be ro¬ tated upwardly, by guide means (lifting mechanism) provided in said apparatus, to the position illustrat¬ ed in Figure 2a, and the plate 21 to be released from its latched position by further guide means, so that the plate can be moved downwardly, in accordance with the pre-set programme, upon rotation of the feed spindle 23. When occupying its upwardly rotated posi¬ tion, the inner cover member 12 forms guide means for

banknotes entering the cassette. When the cassette is inserted into a dispensing apparatus, the inner cover member 12 is released from the position illustrated in Figure 1 with pressure against the bundle of banknotes and is lifted slightly to the position illustrated in Figure 3a, in which position although constituting a restriction to upward movement of the bundle does not normally lie heavily thereagainst. The plate 21 is released from a latched position in the aforedescribed manner and can therewith be moved upwards in accordance with the pre-set programme at a rate commensurate with the dispensement of banknotes.

The chamber of the cassette can be dimensioned to ac¬ commodate banknotes of different length and breadth dimensions, with the aid of moveably arranged spacing means, e.g. loose plastic bars or corresponding ele¬ ments which can be screwed to or snapped into suitable locations on/in the inner walls of the cassette, these locations being suited for a given type of banknote or for the largest banknote that can be expected when the cassette is intended to accommodate a mixture of mutu¬ ally different denominations.

It will be understood that many modifications are con¬ ceivable within the scope of the invention.

For example, the inner cover member may be arranged to co-act with a spring which automatically raises said cover member when the outer cover member 11 is drawn out and lowered to the position illustrated in Figure 2a, the extent to which the inner cover member 21 is moved being determined by guide or limit means provid¬ ed in the apparatus into which the cassette is insert-

ed. In this case, the outer member cover is provided with guide means which when the outer cover member is rotated upwards to a horizontal position acts upon the inner cover member so that said cover member is simul¬ taneously rotated from a raised position (Figure 2a) to a lowered position (Figure 1). According to a further modification, the apparatus for dispensing banknotes or like valuable documents may be provided with an abut¬ ment member which, when inserting the cassette into the apparatus with the outer cover extended, engages a pin provided in the cassette and therewith causes the inner cover member to be rotated upwardly to a given extent. Apparatus intended for depositing valuable documents are provided with a linkage system which, when the cas¬ sette is inserted in the apparatus with the outer mem¬ ber extended, co-acts with the inner cover member to rotate said member anti-clockwise from the position il¬ lustrated in Figure 1 to the position illustrated in Figure 2a, and to rotate the cover member downwardly when the cassette is withdrawn from the apparatus.

A plate latching mechanism is provided for preventing the plate from moving downwards when the cassette is closed, and therewith locked. Valuable document infeed apparatus are provided with an arm which, when the cas¬ sette is inserted into the apparatus, act upon the latching mechanism in a manner to permit downward move¬ ment of the plate. When the cassette is withdrawn from the apparatus, such activation of the latching mecha¬ nism is prevented by the outer cover member.

The aforementioned counter and the memory for counting and storing the number of valuable documents and op¬ tionally the value of accommodated valuable documents

preferably comprise electronic components on an elec¬ tronic card, which also incorporates components for identifying the cassette, recording the number of withdrawal/deposit transactions, the times at which given operations take place, and optionally blocking of access to the content prior to/subsequent to a given time point.

In accordance with one advantageous embodiment of the compacting device 26, the device is provided with spring-operated sensing fingers which are displaced towards the free surface of the bundle 13 when sensing the level thereof. When the aforesaid level is too high the pressure against the fingers will be too high and the force of a built-in spring will be over¬ come, and a icroswitch is closed. As a result impulses are sent to the motor 25 which cause the motor to rotate the feed spindle 23, so as to move the plate 21 downwards, and when the f ee surface of the bundle of banknotes is on the level intended, the pressure acting on the fingers searches a normal value, the spring overcomes the pressure of the fingers, thereby opening the microswitch so as to interrupt the supply to the motor 25.