Currency dispenser

Claim 2

A unit for storing bills in a currency dispensing system comprising: A. means for holding a stack of bills extending along an axis with the bills being transverse to the axis and with successive bills or groups of bills being oriented at different angles around the axis, said holding means being open at one end thereof, B. support means for said holding means disposed across said one end including means for forming passages which are co-extensive with the bills, and passage blocking means, C. means for selectively actuating said blocking means to open a passage and for registering one passage and the end bill at said one end to thereby dispense through the selected passage the end bill, and D. said blocking meanS normally blocking all passages, and positively blocking all passages but said one passage at each activation.

Claim 3

A storage unit as recited in claim 1, wherein said holding means is adapted to be removably mounted on said support means in said dispensing system, additionally comprising means adapted to be disposed across said one end to prevent loss of bills when said holding means is removed from the system.

Claim 4

first and second drive units to move said cams between first and second positions independently, and

Claim 5

first and second drive units to move said cams between first and second positions independently, and

Claim 6

a support plate comprising first and second passages therethrough, each passage being oriented with bills of one orientation and being co-extensive therewith, and a pair of doors associated with each bill passage, said doors being hinged to said support plate and pivoted between first and second positions to substantially close the bill passage in the first position and substantially open the bill passage in the second position, and D. means on said support means and said storage units for aligning said doors and storage units, said cam units normally keeping said doors in a closed position, actuating one of said driving units moving one of said cams to a position to block one pair of doors and subsequently open the other pair of doors.

Claim 7

a support plate comprising first and second passages therethrough, each passage being oriented with bills of one orientation and being co-extensive therewith, and a pair of doors associated with each bill passage, said doors being hinged to said support plate and pivoted between first and second positions to substantially close the bill passage in the first position and substantially open the bill passage in the second position, and D. means on said support means and said storage units for aligning said doors and storage units, said cam units normally keeping said doors in a closed position, actuating one of said driving units moving one of said cams to a position to block one pair of doors and subsequently open the other pair of doors.

Claim 10

A system as recited in claim 3, in which said stacking means is adapted for being removed from said system, said system additionally comprising: means adapted to be connected to said holding means when it is removed from said system to block said first holding means end.

Claim 11

A system as recited in claim 3 additionally including actuating means, said blocking means comprising: A. a blocking plate adjacent said first stack end including a plurality of passages, each passage being disposed in registration with bills of one orientation in the stack, and B. said blocking means including hinged doors for each passage, said actuating means being adapted to move the doors between first and second positions, only one set of doors at a time being adapted to be moved to the first position to form a passage through said blocking plate.

Claim 12

A currency dispensing system comprising: A. at least one currency storage unit for storing bills of a single denomination in a stack along a longitudinal axis, with the bills being transverse to the longitudinal axis and perpendicular to each other, B. a support plate including first and second passages co-extensive with bills on said perpendicular axes, said plate additionally comprising a plurality of pivoted blocking doors mounted thereto, C. actuating means for moving said doors between first and second positions and blocking and opening said support plate passages respectively, said actuating means opening the other passage, D. means for receiving dispensed bills, and E. means for supporting said storage units, support plate and actuating means.

Claim 13

A currency dispensing system comprising: A. at least one currency storage unit for storing bills of a single denomination in a stack along a longitudinal axis, with the bills being transverse to the longitudinal axis and perpendicular to each other, B. a support plate including first and second passages co-extensive with bills on said perpendicular axes, said plate additionally comprising a plurality of pivoted blocking doors mounted thereto, C. actuating means for moving said doors between first and second positions and blocking and opening said support plate passages respectively, said actuating means opening the other passage, D. means for receiving dispensed bills, and E. means for supporting said storage units, support plate and actuating means.

Claim 14

A currency dispensing system as recited in claim 6 wherein a pair of pivoted doors are associated with each passage through said support plate, one door from each pair being hinged on intersecting surfaces adjacent the passages whereby adjacent doors pivot in opposite directions with respect to their pivot axes, said actuating means comprising: A. a first cam unit mounted for rotation between first and second positions on said support means, and including means for engaging and closing a first pair of doors in the first position, B. a second cam mounted for rotation between first and second positions on said support means and means for engaging a second pair of doors to close the doors in the first position, C. first drive means for rotating said first cam unit to the second position to open the one set of doors, said engaging means on said first cam unit blocking the second pair of doors before the first pair of doors open, and D. second drive unit means for rotating the second cam unit to the second position to open the second pair of doors, said engaging means blocking the first set of doors before the secoNd set of doors open, said first and second drive means normally being energized independently.

Claim 15

A currency dispensing system as recited in claim 6 wherein: A. said storage unit supporting means includes i. a plate portion with a rectangular aperture therethrough, and ii. means for rotatably supporting said support plate, B. one said support plate being affixed to each storage unit, and C. said actuating means comprising: means for incrementally rotating said storage unit and support plate to thereby alternately align one of said bill passages with the aperture through said storage unit supporting means, said storage unit supporting means normally interfering with said doors, alignment of the bill passage and storage unit supporting means aperture enabling one pair of doors to open.

Claim 16

A currency dispensing system as recited in claim 6 wherein said storage unit comprises a shutter plate disposed across one end of said storage unit for normally blocking said storage unit, said support plate being affixed to said storage unit supporting means, said storage unit being installed in said currency dispensing system to align the bills with said passages, said actuating means comprising: A. a rotary cam unit comprising two upstanding oppositely disposed cams for engaging and closing said doors in said support plate in a first position, said cam unit being movable to a second position for opening one pair of doors associated with one passage and to a third position for opening the other pair of doors associated with the other passage, and B. means for rotating said cam from said first to said second or third positions.

Claim 17

A system as recited in claim 6, and additionally comprising a transportation plate disposable across one end of each of said storage units, said transportation plate comprising: A. first and second apertures coextensive to and in alignment with bills in said storage unit; B. a plurality of pivoted shutters normally closing said apertures; C. a plurality of pins on said support plate engageable with said shutters; D. rotation of said storage unit and transportation plate causing said pins to open said shutters and align said apertures with said first and second passages in said support plate.