Ncr Corporation

Alexander S Murison

Gary R Marshall

George J Hroch

Armand M Dumas

Peter N McLean

An endorser is disposed along a document transport path and includes a printhead for printing an endorsement onto a document along the document transport path. The printhead can move through an opening to print an endorsement onto a document along the document transport path. A door covers the opening and is slidable between an open position in which the printhead is able to move through the opening to print an endorsement onto a cheque and a closed position in which the door prevents the cheque from being jammed into the printhead when the cheque is transported along the cheque transport path. The door includes a major surface and a plurality of finger-like projections disposed on the major surface. The plurality of finger-like projections are provided for engaging a cheque when the cheque moves into a position along the cheque transport path for the printhead to print an endorsement onto the cheque.

Apparatus for use in a self-service terminal and a method of processing a financial instrument at a self-service terminal

A document feeder includes advance, separation, and transport rollers for driving checks in turn along a feedpath from an input tray containing a stack of the checks A sensor is disposed between the separation and transport rollers for detecting presence of the checks therebetween. A controller is joined to the rollers for controlling speed thereof, and is operatively joined to the sensor for measuring intercheck gaps between the separation and transport rollers. The controller actively adjusts the intercheck gaps by temporarily changing speed of the separation roller at the beginning of the feedpath near the input tray. The intercheck gaps are measured and corrected between the separation and transport rollers for precise control thereof while maximizing throughput.

Active gap controlled feeder

A document feeder is provided for feeding documents along a document feed path. The document feeder comprises a tray for containing a stack of documents to be fed along the document feed path. A picker mechanism is provided for picking a document from the stack of documents stored in the tray and moving the picked document along the document feed path. A sensor mechanism is provided for (i) detecting movement of documents along the document feed path, and (ii) providing an output signal indicative thereof. A controller responsive to the output signal from the sensor mechanism is provided for controlling operation of the picker mechanism to provide a gap of at least a predetermined size between adjacent documents moving along the document feed path.

Document feeder

A document feeder comprises a tray for containing a stack of documents to be fed along a document feed path. A picker mechanism picks a document from the stack and moves the picked document along the document feed path. A controllable motivator disposed in the tray is provided for, when controlled, applying a variable force against the stack to move the stack against the picker mechanism to allow the picker mechanism to pick a document from the stack and move the picked document along the document feed path. The picker mechanism includes a pre-picker roller having an outer circumferential surface which engages a document in the stack to initially pick the engaged document and move the picked document into the document feed path. First and second interruptive sensors cooperate to sense position of the picking mechanism relative to the stack. A controller responsive to output signals from the first and second sensors controls the motivator to apply a force against the stack such that the stack applies a relatively constant force against the outer circumferential surface of the pre-picker roller. Both sensors are uninterrupted when the stack applies an amount of force less than a desired amount of force against the outer circumferential surface of the pre-picker roller. One sensor is interrupted and the other sensor is uninterrupted when the stack applies a desired amount of force against the outer circumferential surface of the pre-picker roller. Both sensors are interrupted when the stack applies an amount of force greater than a desired amount of force against the outer circumferential surface of the pre-picker roller.

A sheet to be printed on can be transported along a sheet feed path to a printing position. The sheet feed path extends along a first direction. A thermal print head is located on one side of the sheet feed path and is provided for printing onto a sheet which has been transported to the printing position along the sheet feed path. A print platen is located on an opposite side of the sheet feed path and is provided for printing onto a sheet which has been transported to the printing position along the sheet feed path. A spring mechanism is provided for biasing the head and the platen towards each other to contact the sides of a sheet in the printing position to allow printing on the sheet in the printing position. A drive mechanism is provided for moving the head and the platen in a second direction which is transverse to the first direction to allow printing on a sheet in the printing position to occur while the head and the platen are contacting the sheet in the printing position. A cam mechanism is provided for moving the head and the platen away from each other to move the head and the platen out of contact with a sheet in the printing position after printing on the sheet in the printing position has occurred. The drive mechanism and the cam mechanism cooperate to move the head and the platen back to their initial positions when the head and the platen are moved away from each other and out of contact with a sheet in the printing position to allow another printing to occur.

Thermal printer apparatus

A ribbon supply apparatus including a support in which a ribbon supply spool and a take-up spool are rotatably mounted. The supply and take-up spools and the support are designed so that these spools can be mounted in the support in only one way, the correct way. The ribbon is supplied on a tubular core member which is mounted on a cylindrical member which is part of the supply spool. The ribbon supply spool has a large gear thereon which is used in a braking and feeding mechanism which is used to incrementally feed the ribbon to a print station associated with the apparatus. The ribbon take-up spool is identical to the ribbon supply spool, but the ribbon take-up spool is mounted in a reversed manner when compared to the ribbon supply spool. A driving gear, coupled to the large gear on the take-up spool is part of the braking and feeding mechanism which also includes a 'dancer arm'. The dancer arm controls a loop of ribbon which is fed to the print station. A metering roller is used in providing a predetermined amount of ribbon to the print station by enabling the take-up spool to pull ribbon from the loop of ribbon.

Growing community of inventors

Waterloo, Canada

Alexander S Murison