Bill stacking mechanism

Claim 2

Apparatus for stacking elongated bills received from a bill acceptor or the like which delivers an acceptable bill in the direction of the greater longitudinal length thereof and which frees a bill upon delivery thereof, including in combination, a cash box having an elongated mouth, retaining lips extending along the longitudinal edges of said mouth, means forming a narrow elongated escrow chamber in front of said mouth and adapted to receive a freed bill with said bill supported on one of the shorter lateral edges thereof, means at the outlet of said acceptor for imparting to a bill being delivered from said acceptor to said escrow chamber longitudinal crease to inhibit movement of said bill from said position in said escrow chamber in which the bill is supported on said shorter lateral edge thereof after being freed, a flat ram elongated in the direction of elongation of said mouth, the dimension of said ram being such as to engage a bill over a major part of the area thereof, means mounting said ram for movement from a home position at a side of said chamber remote from said mouth across said chamber and through said mouth past said retaining lips and back to said home position to carry a bill from said chamber into said cash box through said mouth and means responsive to operation of said acceptor for moving said ram.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 including means for manually detachably mounting said cash box on said ram mounting means with said mouth in operative relationship with said ram.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 2 in which said cash box mounting means comprises interengageable means on said ram mounting means and on said cash box for mounting said cash box for movement from a position at which said mouth is remote from said space to a position at which said mouth is adjacent to said space, and a manually operated latch for locking said cash box in said adjacent position.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 3 in which said interengageable means comprises sliding means.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the distance between the edges of said lips is less than the width of a bill.

Claim 7

Apparaus as in claim 1 in which said ram is generally rectangular in outline, the width of said ram being less than the width of a bill being handled, the length of the ram being greater than the length of a bill being handled.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 1 including a block of resilient material in said cash box for urging bills in said box toward said lips.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said crease iMparting means includes corrugated delivery rollers for longitudinally straightening and slightly creasing a bill being delivered to said escrow chamber.

Claim 10

Apparatus for stacking bills received from a bill acceptor or the like adapted to produce an output signal in response to the passage of an acceptable bill therethrough including in combination, a frame, means on said frame forming a vertically oriented bill escrow chamber having the general shape of a rectangular parallelopiped, said chamber having an open upper end for the reception of bills on end from said acceptor, one side of said chamber being formed with an opening permitting the discharge of bills from the chamber, a cash box formed with a generally rectangular mouth, respective inwardly directed lips running along opposite longitudinal edges of said mouth, the distance between the edges of said lips being less than the width of a bill being handled to retain bills in said cash box, means in said cash box for biasing bills therein toward said lips, means mounting said cash box on said frame with said mouth adjacent to said chamber discharge opening, a ram having a flat rectangular bill engaging surface, means mounting said ram on said frame for movement of said surface from a home position remote from said mouth through said chamber and through said mouth and back to said home position to carry a bill from said chamber into said cash box past said retaining flanges against the action of said biasing means, energizable drive means for said ram and means responsive to said signal for energizing said drive means, said cash box mounting means comprising interengageable means on said frame and on said cash box for mounting said cash box for movement from a position at which said mouth is remote from said discharge opening to a position at which said mouth is adjacent to said opening and a manually operable latch for holding said cash box in said adjacent position.

Claim 11

Apparatus for stacking bills received from a bill acceptor or the like adapted to produce an output signal in response to the passage of an acceptable bill therethrough including in combination, a frame, means on said frame forming a vertically oriented bill escrow chamber having the general shape of a rectangular parallelopiped, said chamber having an open upper end for the reception of bills on end from said acceptor, one side of said chamber being formed with an opening permitting the discharge of bills from the chamber, a cash box formed with a generally rectangular mouth, respective inwardly directed lips running along opposite longitudinal edges of said mouth, the distance between the edges of said lips being less than the width of a bill being handled to retain bills in said cash box, means in said cash box for biasing bills therein toward said lips, means mounting said cash box on said frame with said mouth adjacent to said chamber discharge opening, a ram having a flat rectangular bill engaging surface, means mounting said ram on said frame for movement of said surface from a home position remote from said mouth through said chamber and through said mouth and back to said home position to carry a bill from said chamber into said cash box past said retaining flanges against the action of said biasing means, energizable drive means for said ram and means responsive to said signal for energizing said drive means, said cash box mounting means comprising interengageable means on said frame and on said cash box for mounting said cash box for movement from a position at which said mouth is remote from said discharge opening to a position at which said mouth is adjacent to said opening and a manually operable latch for holding said cash box in said adjacent position.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 9 including corrugated rollers for feeding bills on end to said chamber.