Stacking Device for Paper Sheets

This invention relates to a stacking device for paper sheets, in which sheets to be transported edgewise one by one are vertically stacked.

In recent years, with the automation of banking businesses, a currency note arranger has particularly been used. Such currency note arrangers are designed to remove currency notes one by one from a supply unit for transportation and to discriminate the notes based upon their value during transportation. After discrimination, the notes are sorted, and the reusable notes are stacked; subseqently, the stacked notes are automatically removed in predetermined numbers and bundled, and then placed in a stacking box. With these prior art systems, since the currency notes are continuously transported at high speed directly from the transportation passage into the stacking box, a succeeding note may enter the stacking box before the immediately preceding note has been completely and evenly stacked on the piled notes. As a result, the leading edge of the succeeding note may strike the immediately preceding note, thereby disturbing the evenness of the stack and skewing it. Such notes not only have an undesireable appearance but the projected notes can be torn during subsequent processing and handling.

In a conventional device, as shown in FIG. 1, to obviate the above-mentioned disadvantage, currency notes P transported from transportation passage A are held with a blade wheel B and are guided, by the rotation of blade wheel B, into a stacking box c. Blade wheel B is constructed of a plurality of blades e spaced tangentially along the circumferential surface d of wheel B. Each currency note P is held between surface d of wheel B and its respective blade e. Notes P are stacked, in order, in stacking box c even though they are continuously transported from transportation passage A at high speed. A rotating stacking mechanism f, positioned adjacent blade wheel B, has stacking cradle 1 and a pair of spaced stacking tangs g fixed to the lower edges of cradle 1. As shown in solid line, the stacking tangs g are positioned below the path of the notes which pass between transportation passage A and blade e. When a note detector j determines that a predetermined number of notes has passed into stacking box c, for example the 100th note, the stacking mechanism f, operated by motor h, starts to rotate thereby causing cradle 1 and stacking tangs g to rotate in the X direction. The movement of stacking tangs g is then stopped in the position shown by the dotted line, thereby preventing succeeding notes from being stacked directly onto the preceding predetermined number of notes. The immediately succeeding notes are then temporarily stacked on tangs g. While the preceding currency note group (i.e., 100 notes) in stacking box c is feed into a bundling unit, rotating stacking tangs g stack the succeeding currency notes. After the notes in stacking box c are emptied, stacking tangs g are again rotated in direction X to transfer the temporarily stacked notes on tangs g into stacking box c. The development of a stacking mechanism f permitted the currency notes to be continuously processed, without stopping the device, thereby increasing its efficiency.

This prior art system, however, had certain disadvantages. Each blade e as it rotates presses the top positioned currency note P among the temporarily stacked notes on stacking tangs g such that it rides up cradle 1. When each blade rotates past its contact position with the top note, the reaction force of the note flings the note from cradle 1 and shifts it projectedly from the other stacked notes on tangs g. Further, due to the rubbing action of blades e against the top positioned note as they rotate past, the note is electrostatically charged. As a result, the shifted notes are prevented from stacking evenly due to the difficulty in overcoming the electrostatic forces. Therefore, the stacked notes transported from stacking tangs g and stacked in stacking box c are unevenly stacked.

In conventional devices, moreover, new notes which are stiff and subject to significant friction between the blades and the surface of the wheel. As a result, such notes will not be securely positioned, as they are transported, between the blades and can result in uneven stacking.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the prior art disadvantages mentioned above. The invention provides a stacking device for paper sheets transported from a transporting passage, whereby the paper notes are evenly stacked even if the notes are electrostatically charged by the rotation of the blades.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stacking device for paper sheets wherein the stacked sheets are evenly stacked, even if new notes are utilized.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stacking device for paper sheets wherein the sheets are successively stacked.

In the stacking device for paper notes according to the present invention, the notes are successively transported edgewise and discharged from a transporting passage. Each discharged note is held between two adjacent blades of a rotating wheel, and is rotated toward a stacking box. The note then strikes a finger type stop wall of the stacking box which dislodges the note from the blades and it then falls, by gravity, into the stacking box. When a predetermined number of notes (e.g., 100 notes) are stacked, a stacking cradle is rotated into position. The stacking cradle comprises an inner and outer side wall and a convoluted stop member which joins the side walls. A pair of spaced support tangs are cantilevered from the outer ends of the stop member. The two spaced stacking tangs are stopped above the stacking box to receive the succeeding notes. When the stacking cradle is positioned above the stacking box, the 101st and succeeding notes strike convoluted stop member and are temporarily stacked on the stacking tangs. As a result, the succeeding notes are separated from the 100 sheets of notes previously stored in the stacking box.

A note edge contacting member is positioned along the path of the note as it rotates toward the stacking cradle. This note edge contacting member functions to maintain alignment of the notes by preventing projection of the notes and eliminating electrostatic charge caused by contact with the rotating blades. As a result, the notes are temporarily and evenly stacked on the stacking tangs.

The instant invention includes additional means which forces the note to move further down between the blades to securely position it until it is removed by the finger type stop wall. This additional means uses constant force to further position the notes. As a result, the force of each note as it strikes the stop member of the stacking cradle is constant; this offers additional assistance in positioning the notes evenly on the sectional stacking plate.

Furthermore, the note edge contacting member is constructed of a conductive material and grounded; consequently, static electricity formed on the notes caused by the contacting rotating blades, is eliminated. Eliminating the charge not only permits the notes to be evenly stacked but also prevents adherence of the notes to the note edge contacting member. Thus, there will be no shortage in the number of notes guided into the stacking box. The instant invention, therefore, produces evenly stacked notes which have a desirable appearance and will unlikely be torn during subsequent processing and handling by, for example, automatic bundling machines.

Other objects and features of this invention will be apparent from the following description read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation of a conventional stacking device for stacking paper notes;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a currency note arranger utilizing a paper note stacking device according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the paper note stacking device shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4(a) is a schematic front elevation partially in section of the paper note stacking device shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4(b) is a sectional view of a stacking device along lines 4b--4b shown in FIG. 4(a);

FIGS. 5(a)-(f) are views, similar to FIG. 3, showing the movement of the paper note as it is tranported by the stacking device shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view showing the operation of a paper note stacking device of another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, paper money such as currency notes P are vertically stored in a supply box 2 of a supply unit 1. The notes are successively supplied with rotation of a feeding rotor 3 along a transporting passage 5. Currency note P is transported by transporting belts 4 which transports each note P at the speed of 16 m/sec. Along transport passage 5, note P is read by a discriminating unit 6 for discriminating reusable notes from unusable notes. An electric signal from discriminating unit 6 controls a first sectional gate 7a and a second sectional gate 7b. First sectional gate 7(i a is utilized for receiving