Rotary depository construction

Claim 2

In rotary depository construction, a housing having front and side wall means open at the rear, deposit slot means formed in the front wall means; rotor means journaled in the housing having a drum; drum top, bottom and side walls forming an elongated center security deposit-receiving passageway in the drum generally rectangular in cross section and being open at one end and having a second end; pusher means mounted in the passageway normally located at said second end and movable between said second and open passageway ends; the drum being provided with cover means extending from the open to the second passageway end; the drum normally being located at a ''''home'''' position and being rotatable in one direction to a ''''deposit'''' position, and also being rotatable in the other direction from the ''''deposit'''' position past the ''''home'''' position to an ''''eject'''' position, and also being rotatable from said ''''eject'''' position in said one direction back to said ''''home'''' position; motor means for rotating the drum rotor selectively between said ''''home'''', ''''deposit'''' and ''''eject'''' positions; the drum cover means closing the deposit slot at all times when the drum is out of ''''deposit'''' position, the open passageway end being aligned with the deposit slot when the drum is in ''''deposit'''' position to receive deposited material through the deposit slot and open end; complementary tongue and groove means formed in the pusher means and passageway top and bottom walls extending longitudinally of the passageway; photocell means mounted on the drum projecting a light beam across the passageway operative to sense the receipt of deposited material in the passageway adjacent to the pusher means; said motor means including drum rotor drive means and means for energizing the drum motor drive means when the drum is in ''''home'''' position to rotate the drum in said one direction from ''''home'''' to ''''deposit'''' position; interruption of the photocell means light beam upon arrival of deposited material in the passageway adjacent the pusher means when the drum is in ''''deposit'''' position activating the drum motor drive means to rotate the drum in the other direction from ''''deposit'''' to ''''eject'''' position; pusher means drive means mounted on the drum for moving the pusher means between said second and open passageway ends; said motor means also including limit switch means and limit switch actuators on the housing and drum operatively connected with the drum motor drive means; and said limit switch means being actuated on arrival of the drum at ''''eject'''' position to stop the drum motor drive means and to start the pusher means drive means to move the pusher means from said second to said open passageway end to eject deposited material from the open end of said passageway at said ''''eject'''' position.

Claim 3

The construction defined in claim 1 in which the pusher means drive means includes a pusher drive motor mounted on the drum and limit switch means and limit switch actuators on the drum and pusher means; in which actuation of the pusher means limit switch means upon arrival of the pusher means at said open passageway end reverses the pusher means drive means to move the pusher means back to the second passageway end and activates the drum motor drive means to move the drum from ''''eject'''' to ''''home'''' position; in which actuation of the pusher means limit switch means upon arrival of the pusher means at said second passageway end stops the pusher means drive means; and in which actuation of the drum motor limit switch means upon arrival of the drum at ''''home'''' position stops the drum motor drive means.

Claim 4

The construction defined in claim 1 in which the drum cover means is arcuate in shape; in which the deposit-receiving passageway extends diametrically of the drum between said open and second ends; and in which the deposit slot is in the upper portion of the front wall means.

Claim 5

The construction defined in claim 1 in which printer means is mounted on the drum operable to print indicia on deposited material located in the passageway between the open and second ends.

Claim 6

In rotary depository construction, a housing having front and side walls, a deposit slot formed in the front wall; rotor means journaled for rotary movement in the housing, the rotor means being movable between ''''home,'''' ''''deposit'''' and ''''eject'''' positions and having a drum provided with side members and an arcuate cover having terminal ends; a passageway formed by top and bottom walls and said drum side members having an open end and a second end, the passageway extending diametrically of the drum and being generally rectangular in cross section; piston-like pusher means normally located in the passageway at said second end movable between the second passageway end to an ''''eject'''' position at said open end and operative positively to eject material from said passageway through said open end when moved to ''''eject'''' position; complementary tongue and groove means formed in the pusher means and the passageway top and bottom walls and extending longitudinally of the passageway; the terminal ends of the drum cover being located at the ends of one of the passageway walls; power means for the drum including control circuitry having limit switch means and limit switch actuators on the drum and housing for rotating the drum selectively between and for stopping the drum selectively at ''''home,'''' ''''deposit,'''' and ''''eject'''' positions; the open end of the passageway being aligned with the housing deposit slot when the drum is in ''''deposit'''' position, and the drum cover closing the housing deposit slot except when the drum is in ''''deposit'''' position; other power means for the pusher means including control circuitry having limit switch means and limit switch actuators mounted on the drum and pusher means for moving the pusher means selectively between and for stopping the pusher means selectively at normal and ''''eject'''' positions; printer means mounted on the rotor operative when actuated to print indicia on material in the passageway; first photocell means on the rotor operative to detect the presence of material in the passageway; other photocell means mounted on the housing operative to detect the ejection of material from the passageway; and means accessible for actuation by a customer operative when actuated to activate the drum power means to move the drum from ''''home'''' position to and to stop the drum at ''''deposit'''' position for receiving in the passageway deposited material through the housing slot and passageway open end; the arrival of deposited material in the passageway adjacent the normal-positioned pusher means activating through the first photocell means the drum power means to move the drum to and to stop the drum at ''''eject'''' position, and also actiVating the printer means to print indicia on deposited material in the passageway; the arrival of the drum at ''''eject'''' position stopping the drum power means and activating the pusher means power means to move the pusher means from normal position to and to stop the pusher means at ''''eject'''' position for positively discharging deposited material from the passageway through the passageway open end; the arrival of the pusher means at ''''eject'''' position reversing the pusher means power means to return the pusher means to normal position, and also activating the drum power means to move the drum from ''''eject'''' position to and to stop the drum at ''''home'''' position; the arrival of the pusher means at normal position stopping the pusher means power means; and the ejection of deposited material from the passageway activating the other photocell means to a signal that a deposit has been made.

Claim 7

In rotary depository construction, a housing having front and side walls, a deposit slot formed in the front wall; rotor means journaled for rotary movement in the housing, the rotor means being movable between ''''home,'''' ''''deposit'''' and ''''eject'''' positions and having a drum provided with side members and an arcuate cover having terminal ends; a passageway formed by top and bottom walls and said drum side members having an open end and a second end, the passageway extending diametrically of the drum and being generally rectangular in cross section; piston-like pusher means normally located in the passageway at said second end movable between the second passageway end to an ''''eject'''' position at said open end and operative positively to eject material from said passageway through said open end when moved to ''''eject'''' position; complementary tongue and groove means formed in the pusher means and the passageway top and bottom walls and extending longitudinally of the passageway; the terminal ends of the drum cover being located at the ends of one of the passageway walls; power means for the drum including control circuitry having limit switch means and limit switch actuators on the drum and housing for rotating the drum selectively between and for stopping the drum selectively at ''''home,'''' ''''deposit,'''' and ''''eject'''' positions; the open end of the passageway being aligned with the housing deposit slot when the drum is in ''''deposit'''' position, and the drum cover closing the housing deposit slot except when the drum is in ''''deposit'''' position; other power means for the pusher means including control circuitry having limit switch means and limit switch actuators mounted on the drum and pusher means for moving the pusher means selectively between and for stopping the pusher means selectively at normal and ''''eject'''' positions; printer means mounted on the rotor operative when actuated to print indicia on material in the passageway; first photocell means on the rotor operative to detect the presence of material in the passageway; other photocell means mounted on the housing operative to detect the ejection of material from the passageway; and means accessible for actuation by a customer operative when actuated to activate the drum power means to move the drum from ''''home'''' position to and to stop the drum at ''''deposit'''' position for receiving in the passageway deposited material through the housing slot and passageway open end; the arrival of deposited material in the passageway adjacent the normal-positioned pusher means activating through the first photocell means the drum power means to move the drum to and to stop the drum at ''''eject'''' position, and also actiVating the printer means to print indicia on deposited material in the passageway; the arrival of the drum at ''''eject'''' position stopping the drum power means and activating the pusher means power means to move the pusher means from normal position to and to stop the pusher means at ''''eject'''' position for positively discharging deposited material from the passageway through the passageway open end; the arrival of the pusher means at ''''eject'''' position reversing the pusher means power means to return the pusher means to normal position, and also activating the drum power means to move the drum from ''''eject'''' position to and to stop the drum at ''''home'''' position; the arrival of the pusher means at normal position stopping the pusher means power means; and the ejection of deposited material from the passageway activating the other photocell means to a signal that a deposit has been made.