Technitrol, Inc.

Brandt-pra, Inc.

Other

Pennsylvania Research Associates, Inc.

George P McInerny

N Allen Cargill

Arthur D Hughes

Aaron F Parker

Counterfeit document detection apparatus

An apparatus for counting and verifying documents is provided with a digital control network. The digital control network coordinates the operations of counting and verifying documents. A transport mechanism moves documents along a guide path through the apparatus. Sensors are located along the guide path for determining optical and magnetic characteristics of the documents and producing signals relative thereto. The measured signals are sampled and digitized by an analog-to-digital converter under the control of a microprocessor. Multiple samples of the sensor signals are accumulated within memory as each document passes adjacent to the sensors. The accumulated values are compared with reference values in order to verify each document which passes adjacent to the sensors. Documents are counted after verification. Individual piece counts and monetary values of such piece counts are provided and counterfeit documents, such as passed for United States currency, can be detected.

Document counting and batching apparatus with counterfeit detection

A document separation device for separating documents in a stack employs counter-rotating feed drum and friction belt members to strip away and hold back more than a single document trying to pass between them. The structure employs a pair of stripper idlers mounted for free-wheeling rotation adjacent the feed drum. The stripper idlers are constructed and arranged so as to be controlled by the documents passing between them and the adjacent feed drum so as to automatically speed up or slow down when required. The stripper idlers are designed to maintain the proper force against the drum or a document passing therebetween to feed the documents in the desired path through the apparatus and to straighten out severely curled leading edges of the documents to avoid jamming, tearing or skewing of the documents. In addition, the idler strippers serve to fan out the documents to hold them in a desirable condition for ease of separation.

Stripper mechanism for document separating apparatus

A document separation device for separating documents in a stack employs counter-rotating drum and friction belt members to strip away and hold back more than a single document trying to pass between them. The structure employs a pair of friction drums and a free-wheeling pulley between them of slightly smaller diameter but on the same axis. Counter-rotating friction stripper belt is supported between two pulleys one of which is driven and is wrapped over the pulley between the friction drum members. A third rotatable pulley between the two supporting the friction belt is located opposite the free-wheeling pulley and has flanges which bear upon the friction drum surfaces such that the friction belt will normally not contact the third pulley when the friction belt is in direct contact with the idler between the friction drums. The friction belt is slightly slack. When a document passes between the belt and the friction drums, it moves the third pulley against the action of the tensioning means and causes the friction belt which is stretchable and resilient to become more taut. If the document is stiff it becomes further extended and the tautness is increased still further by the third member pressing against the stretchable friction belt on the opposite side of the pulley to provide two points of stretching.

Document separating apparatus and method

A device for handling documents which operates to interleave or intermix documents from separate stacks in accordance with a predetermined pattern. The documents are fed through the machine preferably so as to be visible and retrievable throughout their travel. The machine includes an inspection station where the documents are overlapped to permit visual inspection of at least one edge portion of each separate document. The documents from separate stacks are fed one-by-one through separate feed paths with means for insuring single-document feed and means for counting prior to merger and discharge of the merged documents.

Document interleaver device

Documents in a stack are loaded into a bin from which an endmost document is fed by some means to a generally cylindrical drum having a high friction surface which is rotationally driven about its cylindrical axis. A plurality of resilient continuous stretchable friction belts of lower friction than the high friction drum surface are arranged parallel to one another around pulley supports positioned such that non-friction circumferential areas around cylindrical drum surface stretch the path of the continuous belts between adjacent pulleys. The continuous belts are driven in the opposite direction from the high friction cylindrical surface of the drum. The opposed moving surfaces separate adjacent sheets while the belts apply a normal pressure to a document on the high friction surface so that it draws the endmost document from the stack and carries the separated single document through the mechanism by itself.

Feed mechanism for sequentially separating documents, sheets, coupons

Apparatus for counting and endorsing documents and more particularly tickets dimensioned within the preferred range from 1 inch by 2 inches to 2 inches by 5.5 inches and in the thickness range from 2 mils to 14 mils. The stack of tickets is placed in an in-feed hopper and is engaged by an eccentric bottom feed picker to drive preferably the bottom-most document toward a drive wheel and stripper wheel assembly to permit documents to pass only in single file beyond the stripper device. The documents are fed in single file between cooperating belts until they are picked up by acceleration means which abruptly accelerates the documents to provide a gap therebetween suitable for counting purposes. The documents are driven into a stacker wherein they are stacked in the same order in which they were loaded into the in-feed hopper. A stacker arm provides pressure on the building stack which pressure is continually reduced as the stack increases in height to assure a smooth stacking operation. The stacker back plate is adjustable to accommodate the documents of different lengths. A single drive belt is utilized to feed, drive and convey documents to the acceleration means. The documents may be endorsed by selectively moveable endorsing means arranged to prevent 'back printing'. A novel split retainer mechanism is utilized to facilitate fast removal and replacement of the endorser, ink roller and the endorser drum, while at the same time providing the capability of retaining and locking these elements in place during use.

Ticket counter and endorser

An endorser drum assembly for printing data on paper sheets, documents and the like and having an elongated strip preferably formed of resilient material, for mounting about the periphery of a drum. An adjustable clamping means for releasable securement to the drum secures the printing strip thereto.

Endorser assembly having semipermanent print means and clamping means

An endorser drum for printing variable data on paper sheets for use in document handling and counting devices. The drum is provided with a plurality of splined pins positioned at spaced intervals adjacent the periphery of the drum. Each splined pin is provided with a gear-like periphery comprised of a plurality of tapered projections extending radially outward from the periphery of the splined pin. An annular-shaped resilient print wheel, having an interior surface whose configuration is substantially complementary to that of each splined pin, is fitted upon the splined pin. The exterior surface of the print wheel is provided with a plurality of raised characters each aligned with an associated one of the grooves provided along the interior surface of the print wheel. Each splined pin is secured to the print drum so as to experience no rotational movement. Each print wheel may be incrementally indexed, i.e., revolved, about its associated splined pin, The resiliency of the print wheel permits the grooves of the interior surface to rise over the corresponding tapered projections of the splined pin upon which it is mounted after which the grooves and projections of the print wheel respectively 'snap' into engagement with the next adjacent tapered projections and grooves of the splined pin to positively and precisely align the next adjacent raised character into the print position.

Endorser drum having indexable self-aligning print wheels

Apparatus for counting and endorsing documents and more particularly tickets dimensionally within the preferred range from one (1) inch by two (2) inches to two (2) inches by five and one half (5.5) inches and in the thickness range from 2 mils to 14 mils. The stack of tickets is placed in an in-feed hopper and is engaged by an eccentric bottom feed picker to drive preferably the bottom-most document toward a drive wheel and stripper wheel assembly to permit documents to pass only in single file beyond the stripper device. The documents are fed in single file between cooperating belts until they are picked up by acceleration means which abruptly accelerates the documents to provide a gap therebetween suitable for counting purposes. The documents are driven into a stacker wherein they are stacked in the same order in which they were loaded into the in-feed hopper. A stacker arm provides pressure on the building stack which pressure is continually reduced as the stack increases in height to assure a smooth stacking operation. The stacker back plate is adjustable to accommodate the documents of different lengths. A single drive belt is utilized to feed, drive and convey documents to the acceleration means. The documents may be endorsed by selectively moveable endorsing means arranged to prevent 'back printing.' A novel split retainer mechanism is utilized to facilitate fast removal and replacement of the endorser, ink roller and the endorser drum, while at the same time providing the capability of retaining and locking these elements in place during use.

A sheet stacking mechanism neatly stacks a plurality of sheets, which may be of dissimilar sizes, thicknesses and surface quality (finishes), in the original sequence in which the sheets are fed into the mechanism. An outfeed mechanism picks each sheet into the stacker and removes each sheet entering into the stacker away from the throat of the stacker to permit unimpeded entry of the next sheet to the stacker. Anti-skewing devices are employed at various locations to maintain the sheets in proper alignment during stacking. Linkage means having a mechanical advantage greater than one interconnects a biasing spring to a stacker bar to provide elongation of the spring inversely proportional to the distance moved by the bar in response to the accumulation of stacked sheets thereon to render more uniform the force exerted on the bar by the spring means to provide uniform stacking.

Mechanism for stacking sheets

Apparatus for counting and endorsing documents and more particularly tickets dimensionally within the preferred range from 1 inch by 2 inches to 2 inches by 5.5 inches and in the thickness range from two mils to 14 mils. The stack of tickets is placed in an in-feed hopper and is engaged by an eccentric bottom feed picker to drive preferably the bottom-most document toward a drive wheel and stripper wheel assembly to permit documents to pass only in single file beyond the stripper device. The documents are fed in single file between cooperating belts until they are picked up by acceleration means which abruptly accelerates the documents to provide a gap therebetween suitable for counting purposes. The documents are driven into a stacker wherein they are stacked in the same order in which they were loaded into the in-feed hopper. A stacker arm provides pressure on the building stack which pressure is continually reduced as the stack increases in height to assure a smooth stacking operation. The stacker back plate is adjustable to accommodate the documents of different lengths. A single drive belt is utilized to feed, drive and convey documents to the acceleration means. The documents may be endorsed by selectively moveable endorsing means arranged to prevent 'back printing.' A novel split retainer mechanism is utilized to facilitate fast removal and replacement of the endorser, ink roller and the endorser drum, while at the same time providing the capability of retaining and locking these elements in place during use.

Growing community of inventors

Andalusia, PA, United States of America

George P McInerny