De La Rue Systems Ltd.

De La Rue International Limited

Martin Lane

Roy E Winchester

Simon George Calverley

Trevor J Conner

Christopher J Dixon

David R Worsley

Colin Peter Brotherston

Michel R Croset

Michael R Croset

Thompson Colin L

A sheet transport system comprises a plurality of separately driven transport sections ( ), each transport section being driven by a respective motor or motors ( ). A control system ( ) controls operation of the motors ( ). A monitoring system ( ) monitors the performance of the motors, the control system being responsive to the monitoring system to maintain correct operation of the motors.

Sheet transport system

Sheet feeding apparatus for example for use as a banknote counter comprises a stripper system having a pair of rollers; and a banknote detection system including two pairs of rollers defining respective nips into which single notes are fed by the stripper system. The relative deflection of the sheet detection system rollers due to the passage of a sheet through the nips is monitored in use. The stripper system rollers and the rollers of the sheet detection system are substantially coaxially mounted on a shaft and are driven by a common drive motor.

Sheet feeding apparatus and method

A system for destroying sheets, particularly banknotes, comprises a first feed system (13) for feeding sheets at a first feed speed to sheet destruction apparatus, a second feed system (2) upstream of the first system (13) for feeding sheets at a second feed speed faster than the first feed speed, and a buffer system comprising a stacking wheel (9) positioned between the first and second feed systems to transfer sheets from the second system to the first system and to compensate for the difference in feed speeds. Typically, the sheet destruction apparatus is a low speed shreeder (14).

Sheet handling apparatus

A method and apparatus for monitoring the passage of sheets past at least one sensing assembly (48,49). The sensing assembly (48,49) generates an output signal whose level varies in accordance with a characteristic of the sheets, for example the thickness of the sheets. The method comprises for the or each sensing assembly, presetting a first threshold (62) spaced by a predetermined amount from a datum output signal level (57) when no sheet is sensed, the predetermined amount being such that the first threshold (62) is not passed as a result of random noise variations in the output signal but is passed during the passage past the sensing means of all sheets which it is desired to monitor. The size of the output signal from the sensing means (48, 49) relative to the datum level is monitored when the output signal first passes the first threshold (62) corresponding to the passage of a first sheet. Single, double, and triple sheet thresholds (63, 64, 67) are generated from a monitored size and thereafter the output signal is monitored to sense when it passes one or more of the thresholds.

Method and apparatus for monitoring sheets for overlapping

Sheet feeding apparatus for feeding sheets from an input station (4) to an output station (34) comprises selectively actuable stripper mechanism (8) for feeding single sheets from the input station to continuously operable transport mechanism (9,17) which feeds the single sheets to the output station. Sheet detection apparatus (not shown) is provided for checking one or more characteristics of the sheets fed by the stripper mechanism. The arrangement is such that if the detection apparatus detects the presence of a bad or unacceptable sheet, the stripper mechanism is stopped while the transport mechanism transports the bad sheet to the output station.

Sheet feeding apparatus

Apparatus for sensing the passage of sheets (48) through a nip (24), comprises a pair of guide surfaces (20,27) defining the nip (24); means (17,20) for passing sheets (48) through the nip (24); and sensing means formed by pairs of light emitting diodes (37) and phototransistors (38) (37,38) for sensing the deflection of one guide surface relatively to the other. Monitoring means (41,42,43) are provided for monitoring the output of the sensing means (37,38) and for storing a guide surface profile corresponding to the sensing means output when no sheet (48) is present. Comparison means (44) compares subsequent test profiles generated by the monitoring means (41,42) with the stored profile; and detection means (42) detects the presence of a sheet in the nip (24) only when there is a substantially uniform difference between the stored and test profiles.

Method and apparatus for sensing sheets

Sheet sensing apparatus comprises a shaft (9); two roller assemblies (20) mounted on the shaft (9) by means including a resilient portion (30), the roller assemblies contacting guide surfaces (27) provided by drive rollers (17). Sensing means (37,38) are provided within the shaft (9) for sensing deflection of the resilient portion (30) relatively to the shaft in response to the passage of one or more sheets (44) through the nips (24) between the roller assemblies (20) and the drive rollers (17). Monitoring means (not shown) connected to the sensing means monitors the sensed deflections of the resilient portion (30).

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Hampshire, United Kingdom

Martin Lane