The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 07, 1999
Filed:
May. 22, 1996
Irving George Pennini, Plano, TX (US);
Anthony G Orchard, Dallas, TX (US);
Charles L Bradford, Garland, TX (US);
Mark A Carrion, Plano, TX (US);
Currency Systems International, Inc., Irving, TX (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus automatically process currency documents. A stack of loose bank documents are placed on a feeder having a feeder arm which pushes the documents toward a continuous vacuum belt. The feeder arm is controlled by a lever arm connected to a potentiometer. The vacuum belt pulls documents from the stack, and moves the documents past a vacuum separator head and to a transport conveyor. The vacuum belt and the vacuum separator head are connected to the same vacuum supply. The transport conveyor moves the documents through inspection and sorting stations, and to various stacking units which stack the documents on platens. A strapping tape is curved to bend in a direction transverse to its length, and then a terminal end portion of the strapping tape is pushed through connected channels to direct the terminal end portion around three sides of a stack of the documents. A retaining arm clamps the terminal end portion of the strapping tape and the documents against the platen, and then the platen is rotated approximately 90 degrees to dispose an inward length of the strapping tape around a fourth side of the documents and alongside the terminal end portion of the strapping tape, looping the strapping tape completely around the stack of documents. A weld head extends, presses against the strapping tape and the documents, and fuses together the inward length and terminal end portion of the strapping tape. The document bundle is then dropped into a discharge bin.