Ncr Corporation

Ncr International Inc.

Frank B Dunn

Anthony J Boon

Fredrik L N Kallin

Jason Michael Gillier

Owen H Wilson

David Norris

Benjamin T Widsten

Matthew Sonnenberg

Gary Howard

William John Cramer

Anthony R Dunn

Tammer A Gabel

Steven A Hunt

Gary R Marshall

Fred Kallin

Robert Ross

Fredik L N Kallin

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for transporting items of media along a transport path. The apparatus comprises at least one clamp member to apply a clamp force to a bunch of media items located between a support surface and said clamp member, wherein said clamp member is selectively moveable towards or away from said support surface to apply a predetermined clamp force to the bunch of media items.

Clamping of media items

A media separator module of a valuable media depository is selectively controlled to detect folded media and selectively eject the media or preform double feed recovery processing based on a fold type detected for the media.

Folded media detection and processing

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for separating a media item from a bunch of media items. The apparatus comprises at least one first roller located on a first side of a transport path along which a media item is transported and at least two further rollers located on a further side of the transport path opposite the first side, said at least two further rollers being spaced apart to receive a portion of said at least one first roller therebetween, wherein in an advance mode of operation said first and further rollers rotate in the same direction and in a reject mode of operation said first and further rollers rotate in opposite directions.

Media item separation

Systems and methods for deskewing a media object may include receiving, at a deskew of a self-service terminal, the media object. The method may also include engaging a drive member to position the media object into a first position within the deskew. A deskew member may be engaged in a first direction to position the media object into a second position within the deskew. The deskew member may be engaged in a second direction to position the media object into a third position within the deskew.

Media deskew

A media item transporter which accommodates media items and bunches media items of various thicknesses. The media item transporter includes a first transport member and a further transport member located opposite the first transport member to transport a bunch of media items located between the transport members along a transport path, a drive mechanism to move a one of the first and further transport members towards or away from a remainder one of the first and further transport members to selectively locate the first and further transport members in a selectable spaced apart relationship, and at least one sensor to determine a position of the one transport member with respect to the remainder one transport member.

Media item transporter

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for transporting items of media along a transport path. The apparatus comprises a first transport member having a first end region and a further transport member having a further end region, wherein the first end region is spaced apart from the further end region, and a bridge member extending between the first end region and the further end region, wherein a length of the bridge member is adjustable responsive to a one of the first and further end regions being moved with respect to a remainder one of the first and further end regions.

Media item transportation

A Self-Service Terminal (SST) or deposit module for an SST and a method of use are disclosed for transporting an item of media along a transport path. The SST includes a guide surface comprising a first region in which an item of media is transported in a first orientation with respect to a respective direction of transport, and a further region in which an item of media is transported in a further orientation with respect to a respective direction of transport. The SST also includes a re-orientation module that transports an item of media between the first and further regions and rotates an item of media received at a one of the first and further regions into an orientation associated with a remainder one of the first and further regions.

Deposit module

A method and apparatus are disclosed for transporting at least one item of media. The apparatus includes at least one guide member providing a first guide surface that guides at least one item of media as the item is transported, at least one elongate slit in the guide surface and at least one belt member each extending along a respective slit and comprising a first belt portion that extends outwardly from the slit beyond the guide surface and a further belt portion that undercuts a region of the guide surface.

Jam reduction

An apparatus and method are disclosed for stacking items of media in a media container region. The apparatus includes a rotatable roller element arranged to rotate about a longitudinal axis to locate an incoming item of media at a deposit position with the container region. The apparatus also includes at least one trailing edge engaging element that engages with a trailing edge region of an incoming item of media and urges the trailing edge region towards a stack position. The apparatus also includes at least one preceding item edge engaging element that engages with an edge region of a preceding item of media to urge that edge region away from the incoming item of media.

Document stacking

A document processing apparatus comprises a document transport path which extends from an upstream end to a downstream end, a low speed drive disposed at the upstream end of the document transport path and for transporting a document along the document transport path from the upstream end towards the downstream end, a high speed drive disposed at the downstream end of the document transport path and for receiving a document being transported along the document transport path from the low speed drive, an actuatable document processing device disposed at the downstream end of the document transport path and for, when actuated, performing a downstream processing operation on a document being transported along the document transport path, a sensor for (i) sensing speed of movement of a document which is being transported along the document transport path from the upstream end to the downstream end, and (ii) providing a first electrical signal which is indicative of speed of movement of the document, and a controller for (i) monitoring the first electrical signal to thereby monitor speed of movement of the document along the document transport path, (ii) detecting when speed of movement of the document has increased from a first speed to a second speed which is greater than the first speed, (iii) providing a second electrical signal to actuate the document processing device to perform the downstream processing operation in response to detection of speed of movement of the document having increased from the first speed to the second speed.

Document processing apparatus and method of operating a document processing apparatus

A bunch sheet depository is described. The depository comprises: a pressure plate for pressing on a bunch of sheets; a picker aligned with the pressure plate and arranged to remove sheets individually from the bunch of sheets; a link arm including (i) a pivot, (ii) an urging portion coupled to the pressure plate and (iii) a resilient member; and an actuator coupled to the resilient member. The actuator is operable, when actuated, to move the resilient member to rotate the link arm about the pivot and thereby cause compression of the bunch of sheets by the pressure plate using a force from the resilient member that reduces as the resilient member relaxes in response to the pressure plate moving as sheets are removed from the bunch of sheets.

Media depository

A check processing module (CPM) is provided for a self-service check depositing terminal. The CPM comprises a substantially U-shaped plastic guide including (i) first and second leg portions forming the substantially U-shape, (ii) a surface which forms an opening in the first leg portion, and (ii) a releasing member which is disposed on the second leg portion. The CPM further comprises a shaft assembly including (i) a plastic shaft having opposite end portions and a central portion between the opposite end portions, (ii) a number of drive rollers disposed on the central portion, (iii) a first plastic race bearing attached to one end portion of the plastic shaft and disposed in the opening of the plastic guide, and (iv) a second plastic race bearing attached to the other end portion of the plastic shaft and secured by the releasing member to the plastic guide. The releasing member is operable to secure the shaft assembly to the plastic guide during operation of the CPM, and is operable to release the shaft assembly from the plastic guide during disassembly of parts of the CPM.

Check processing module for a self-service check depositing terminal

A scaleable check processing module (SCPM) is provided for a self-service check depositing terminal. The SCPM comprises a supporting structure. The SCPM further comprises a first configurable mechanism located in the supporting structure and for (i) enabling a pocket module to be disposed at a first location of the supporting structure when the SCPM is to be installed into a first type of self-service check depositing terminal, (ii) enabling a pocket module to be disposed at a second location which is different from the first location of the supporting structure when the SCPM is to be installed into a second type of self-service check depositing terminal which is different from the first type of self-service depositing terminal, and (iii) enabling a pocket module to be disposed at a third location which is different from the first and second locations of the supporting structure when the SCPM is to be installed into a third type of self-service check depositing terminal which is different from the first and second types of self-service depositing terminals.

Scaleable check processing module for a self-service check depositing terminal

A plunger moves from a retracted position to an extended position to engage a document which is on a receiving platform to push the document through an opening in the receiving platform and towards a stacking platform to stack the document on the stacking platform. The plunger moves from the extended position back to the retracted position to allow a biasing force which is acting on the stacking platform to press the document which has just been stacked on the stacking platform against the receiving platform. A supporting mechanism supports first and second plate members of the receiving platform for pivoting movement between a non-parallel position in which the plate members form a substantially wide V-shape to cup the document as the plunger pushes the document through the opening and onto the stacking platform, and a parallel position in which the plate members are substantially parallel to each other as the plunger moves back to the retracted position to allow the biasing force which is acting on the stacking platform to press the document which has just been stacked on the stacking platform against the receiving platform.

Growing community of inventors

Waterloo, Canada

Frank B Dunn