In various fields, including that of banknote handling, it is necessary to convey a sheet along a path and then move the sheet in a direction perpendicular to one of its faces. A typical example is the transfer of a banknote from an insertion slot to a storage box as disclosed in US-A-4765607.

In the apparatus disclosed in US-A-4765607, the long edges of banknote are gripped between respective endless belts and guide surfaces. The belts are driven to move the banknote into a position where it can be pushed into a storage box. The friction between the belts and the banknote must be carefully set to meet conflicting requirements. Firstly, the friction must be sufficient to grip the banknotes so that they can be moved by the belts. Secondly, the friction must not prevent banknotes being pushed smoothly into the storage box without ripping or becoming skewed.

According to the present invention, there is provided a sheet handling apparatus comprising sheet transport means including moving sheet contacting means for frictionally engaging and moving a sheet edgeways to a transfer position, and sheet transfer means for transferring a sheet from the transfer position in a direction substantially perpendicular to a major face of the sheet, wherein said sheet contacting element is moved so as to reduce said friction during operation the sheet transfer means.

Thus, s, the friction between the sheet contacting means and the sheet being transported is reduced just as it becomes desirable for the sheet to be easily removed from the transport means. Therefore, the likelihood of the sheet being damaged or skewed by the operation of the sheet transfer means is reduced.

Preferably, resilient means is provided for moving the sheet contacting means to achieve said friction reduction and holding means, operated by the sheet transfer

means, to hold the resilient means in tension or compression until the sheet transfer means comes into operation.

Preferably, the resilient means comprises an endless belt which doubles as the sheet contacting means.

Preferably, the holding means comprises a lever contacting the inside of the belt on one side of its fulcrum and operated by movement of the sheet transfer means. The point of contact may be at an intermediate location within the transfer station.

Preferably, the lever contacts the outside of the belt on the other side of its fulcrum from where the lever contacts the inside of the belt so as to deflect the belt inwards when the holding means is holding the belt in tension. The deflection places the belt under tension and the lever is pivoted when the belt is free to seek a straighter path between pulleys on either side of the lever.

Preferably, the lever has first and second rollers and the lever contacts the belt by means of these rollers.

Preferably, a motor is provided for driving the belt so that the sheet transport means can be provided by the belt and the motor.

Preferably, the sheet contacting means includes a further driven endless belt and the belts are positioned to contact opposite margins of a sheet being transported.

Preferably, the above-described lever arrangement is duplicated for the further belt.

According to the present invention, there is also provided a banknote acceptor including a banknote storage box and an apparatus according to the present invention for transporting a banknote to the storage box and inserting the banknote into the storage box.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an banknote acceptor according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a back view of the chassis of the acceptor of Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a back view of the chassis with the pusher plate removed; Figure 4 is an exploded view of the chassis and the storage box of the acceptor of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the pusher plate and associated components of the acceptor of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a side view of the acceptor of Figure 1 with a banknote being inserted ; Figure 7 is a schematic side view of the banknote path of the acceptor of Figure 1 with a banknote partially drawn into the acceptor; Figure 8 is a schematic side view of the banknote path of the acceptor of Figure 1 with a banknote ready for transfer to the storage box ; and Figure 9 is a schematic side view of the banknote path of the acceptor of Figure 1 with a banknote being inserted into the storage box.

Referring to Figure 1, a banknote acceptor 1 comprises an L-shaped frame 2, a chassis 3 and a storage box 4. The chassis 3 is coupled to the leg and foot portions of the L-shaped frame 2 to form a generally box-shaped assembly. The storage box 4 is mounted to the back of the frame 2 at an upper position and a bezel 5 mounted to the front of the chassis and frame assembly at a lower position. The bezel 5 has a banknote entry slot 6.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the chassis 3 supports first and second parallel, endless, elastic banknote drive belts 10, 11 and a pusher plate 12 for pushing banknotes into the storage box 4. The belts 10, 11 are driven by first and second driving pulleys 13,14 which are rotated by a first electric motor 15. The pusher plate 12 is actuated by cranks 19, driven by a second electric motor 18, which bear against the pusher plate 12 to move it into the storage box 4. Guides 20 ensure that the pusher plate 12 does not pivot as it moves in and out of the storage box 4.

Referring to Figure 4, the storage box 4 is open at the front. However, flanges 21, 22 on either side of the front opening of the storage box 4 ensure that the opening is narrower than the banknotes 23 to be stored in the storage box 4. A resiliently mounted plate 24 in the storage box 4 presses any banknotes received in the storage box 4 to the front of the storage box 4 so that the margins of their long sides are trapped between the plate 24 and the flanges 21,22 retaining them in the storage box 4.

The first drive belt 10 is looped under tension around the first driving pulley 13 and a first driven pulley 26 at the bottom of the chassis 3. The non-banknote- contacting part of the first drive belt's path is straight between first driving pulley 13 and the first driven pulley 26. On the banknote-contacting side, the first belt 10 passes over first and second rollers 28, 29. The first belt 10 passes in front, i. e. on the banknote side, of the first roller 28 and behind the second roller 29. The first roller 28 is located about halfway up the front of the storage box 4.

Referring also to Figure 5, the first and second rollers 28 29 are mounted to a face of a small plate 31. The small plate 31 is mounted to the chassis 3 by a pivot 32.

The pivot 32 is positioned relative to the first and second rollers 28, 29 such that pivoting of the small plate 31 will move one of the rollers 28, 29 towards the storage box 4 and the other away from the storage box.

A tab 33 projects inwards from the edge of the small plate 31 on the same side of the he pivot 32 as the first roller 28. The tab 33 is in contact with a foot 35 projecting forward, i.e. away from the storage box, from the pusher plate 12.

The second drive belt 11 is similarly looped under tension around second driving pulley 12, a second driven pulley 27 and third and fourth rollers. The third and fourth rollers are mounted to second mirror-image small plate 31 pivotably mounted to the chassis 3.

The process of transporting a banknote from the entry slot 6 to the storage box will now be described.

Referring to Figure 6, a banknote 23 being inserted into the entry slot 6 is detected by an optical sensor 38 (see Figure 7). The change in the output of the optical sensor 38 is detected by a control circuit (not shown) which energises the first electric motor 15. The first electric motor 15 begins to drive the belts 10,11 which in turn drive the driven pulleys 26,27.

Referring to Figure 7, as the leading edge of the banknote 23 reaches the back of the chassis and frame assembly, it is directed upwards by a curved guide wall 40 and then gripped between the first and second belts 10,11 and flat guide walls 41 which merge into the flanges 21,22 at the entrance to the storage box 4.

As the banknote 23 is drawn into the apparatus, it is inspected using a variety of conventional sensors (not shown) and its validity determined from the outputs of these sensors. If the banknote 23 is determined to be invalid, the first electric motor 15 is reversed to eject the banknote 31.

Referring to Figure 8, if the banknote 23 is determined to be valid, it is driven up by the first and second belts 10,11 until is aligned with the entrance to the storage box 4. At this point, the banknote 23 is gripped firmly at its lower end between the first and second belts 10,11 and the flanges 21,22.

Referring to Figure 9, when the valid banknote 23 is aligned with the entrance to the storage boz 4, the first electric motor 15 is de-energised to stop the first and second belts 10, 11 and the second electric motor 16 is energised to drive the pusher plate 12 into the storage box 4 taking the banknote 23 with it. As the pusher plate 12 moves towards the storage boz 4, the feet 35 (see Figure 5) move allowing the small plates 31 to be pivoted by the tension in the first and second belts 10, 11 acting on the rollers 28, 29.

The pivoting of the small plates 31 moves the first roller 28 on each away from the storage box 4, thereby-reducing the belts'grip on the banknote 23. Since the grip

on the banknote 23 has been reduced, the pusher plate 12 smoothly pushes the banknote 23 into the storage box 4 with no risk of it ripping or becoming skewed.

Once the banknote 23 has been pushed fully into the storage box 4, the pusher plate 12 is withdrawn to its original position thereby returning the small plates 31 to their original positions.

It will be appreciated that many modifications may be made to the embodiment described above. For instance, the belts could be replaced by a series of wheels, some of which can be displaced to reduce the friction between them and the sheet being transported.