Anti-retrieval device

Claim 2

A validator which comprises passageway-defining members that are spaced apart to define an elongated shallow passageway for a document, a pivot, a blocking member which is rotatably mounted on said pivot and which has a portion thereof that is selectively disposable in blocking position in said passageway or out of said blocking position, said portion of said blocking member having a leading edge which inclines downwardly and forwardly relative to said passageway, and wherein any point on said leading edge of said portion of said blocking member which can be engaged by an object inserted into said passageway will be further away from said pivot than is the lower part of said leading edge of said portion of said blocking member, whereby said lower part of said leading edge of said portion of said blocking member will jam against said object if said portion of said blocking member tends to rotate out of blocking position in response to the insertion of said object, whereby said leading edge of said portion of said blocking member can keep said object from rotating said portion of said blocking member out of said blocking position.

Claim 3

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, both of said toothed members being stationary during the acceptance of each acceptable document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said toothed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document after said document has reassumed its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members being adjustable at a time when a document is not present in said validator, said one of said toothed members being adjustable to move a toothed surface thereon relative to a toothed surface on the other of said toothed members.

Claim 4

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, both of said toothed members being stationary during the acceptance of each acceptable document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said toothed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document after said document has reassumed its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members being adjustable at a time when a document is not present in said validator, said one of said toothed members being adjustable to move a toothed surface thereon relative to a toothed surface on the other of said toothed members.

Claim 5

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, both of said toothed members being stationary during the acceptance of each acceptable document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said tooThed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document after said document has reassumed its flat condition.

Claim 6

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, both of said toothed members being stationary during the acceptance of each acceptable document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said tooThed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document after said document has reassumed its flat condition.

Claim 7

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, an upper platen and a lower platen that coact to define a space through which said means moves said document past said sensor, one of said toothed members being supported by said lower platen, the other of said toothed members being supported by said upper platen, both of said toothed members being stationary during the acceptance of each acceptable document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said toothed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document after said document has reassumed its flat condition.

Claim 8

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, an upper platen and a lower platen that coact to define a space through which said means moves said document past said sensor, one of said toothed members being supported by said lower platen, the other of said toothed members being supported by said upper platen, both of said toothed members being stationary during the acceptance of each acceptable document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said toothed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document after said document has reassumed its flat condition.

Claim 9

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said toothed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document after said document has reassumed its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members being adjustable at a time when a document is not present in said validator, said one of said toothed members being adjustable to move a toothed surface thereon relative to a toothed surface on the other of said toothed members, said one of said toothed members being movable to a position wherein it provides little or no impedance to the movement of an acceptable document past said toothed members.

Claim 10

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said toothed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document after said document has reassumed its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members being adjustable at a time when a document is not present in said validator, said one of said toothed members being adjustable to move a toothed surface thereon relative to a toothed surface on the other of said toothed members, said one of said toothed members being movable to a position wherein it provides little or no impedance to the movement of an acceptable document past said toothed members.

Claim 11

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said toothed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document at the time said document reassumes its flat condition, a switch, an actuator for said switch that has a portion thereof which is biased toward and which normally lies in the path of a document being moved relative to said toothed members by said means, said portion of said actuator being movable out of said path by the leading edge of said document as said document is being moved relative to said toothed members by said means but the bias on said portion of said actuator causing said portion of said actuator to apply a bowing force to said document while said document is engaged by said portion of said actuator, said switch having one condition whenever said actuator is in said path of said document being moved relative to said toothed members by said means but having a second and different condition whenever said actuator is out of said path of said document, and said actuator being disposed close to but rearwardly of at least one tooth on said one of said toothed members whenever said means moves said document between said toothed members, said means moving said trailing edge of said document rearwardly of said one tooth on said one of said toothed members before the trailing edge of said document moves rearwardly beyond said actuator and releases said actuator, the movement of said trailing edge of said document rearwardly beyond said actuator relieving said document of said bowing force due to said bias on said portion of said actuator and also enabling said portion of said actuator to respond to said bias thereon to move back into the path of said document, whereby said actuator and said toothed members will prevent reverse movement of any document which has had the trailing edge thereof moved rearwardly beyond said actuator, said actuator responding to rearward movement of said document into engagement with said portion thereof to cause said switch to change from said one condition thereof to said second and different condition thereof, said actuator maintaining said switch in said one condition as said means continues to move said document rearwardly relative to said toothed members until said trailing edge of said document has been moved rearwardly of said one tooth on said one of said toothed members and also has been moved rearwardly of said portion of said actuator, said actuator then permitting said switch to change back to said one condition thereof, whereby the rearward movement of said document into engagement with and then beyond said portion of said actuator will cause said switch to indicate that a document has been so moved and whereby said actuator and said one tooth of said one of said toothed members will prevent reverse movement of said document.

Claim 12

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said toothed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document at the time said document reassumes its flat condition, a switch, an actuator for said switch that has a portion thereof which is biased toward and which normally lies in the path of a document being moved relative to said toothed members by said means, said portion of said actuator being movable out of said path by the leading edge of said document as said document is being moved relative to said toothed members by said means but the bias on said portion of said actuator causing said portion of said actuator to apply a bowing force to said document while said document is engaged by said portion of said actuator, said switch having one condition whenever said actuator is in said path of said document being moved relative to said toothed members by said means but having a second and different condition whenever said actuator is out of said path of said document, and said actuator being disposed close to but rearwardly of at least one tooth on said one of said toothed members whenever said means moves said document between said toothed members, said means moving said trailing edge of said document rearwardly of said one tooth on said one of said toothed members before the trailing edge of said document moves rearwardly beyond said actuator and releases said actuator, the movement of said trailing edge of said document rearwardly beyond said actuator relieving said document of said bowing force due to said bias on said portion of said actuator and also enabling said portion of said actuator to respond to said bias thereon to move back into the path of said document, whereby said actuator and said toothed members will prevent reverse movement of any document which has had the trailing edge thereof moved rearwardly beyond said actuator, said actuator responding to rearward movement of said document into engagement with said portion thereof to cause said switch to change from said one condition thereof to said second and different condition thereof, said actuator maintaining said switch in said one condition as said means continues to move said document rearwardly relative to said toothed members until said trailing edge of said document has been moved rearwardly of said one tooth on said one of said toothed members and also has been moved rearwardly of said portion of said actuator, said actuator then permitting said switch to change back to said one condition thereof, whereby the rearward movement of said document into engagement with and then beyond said portion of said actuator will cause said switch to indicate that a document has been so moved and whereby said actuator and said one tooth of said one of said toothed members will prevent reverse movement of said document.

Claim 13

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, both of said toothed members being stationary during the acceptance of each acceptable document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said toothed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document after said document has reassumed its flat condition, each of said toothed members having the apices of the teeth thereon spaced generally parallel to the path of movement through which said means moves said document relative to said toothed members, whereby the leading edge of each document is successively moved past a succession of apices of teeth.

Claim 14

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, both of said toothed members being stationary during the acceptance of each acceptable document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said toothed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document after said document has reassumed its flat condition, each of said toothed members having the apices of the teeth thereon spaced generally parallel to the path of movement through which said means moves said document relative to said toothed members, whereby the leading edge of each document is successively moved past a succession of apices of teeth.

Claim 15

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, both of said toothed members being stationary during the acceptance of each acceptable document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said toothed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document after said document has reassumed its flat condition, each of said toothed members having the apices of the teeth thereon spaced generally parallel to the path of movement through which said means moves said document relative to said toothed members, whereby the leading edge of each document is successively moved past a succession of apices of teeth, and said teeth on said toothed members being formed and disposed to present gently-inclined surfaces to said leading edge of each document as said document is being moved inwardly of said validator by said means but to present abruptly-disposed surfaces to the trailing edge of said document if an effort is made to pull said document through said validator in the reverse direction.

Claim 16

A validator which comprises a sensor, means to provide relative movement between a document and said sensor, a toothed member past which said means will move an accepted document, a further toothed member past which said means will move said accepted document, both of said toothed members being stationary during the acceptance of each acceptable document, said toothed members being near each other but being out of register with each other, whereby said toothed members can require said document to bow transversely as it moves, and to enable it to move, between said toothed members, said document, after it has been moved past said toothed members, responding to the restorative forces therein to reassume its flat condition, at least one of said toothed members lying in the path of reverse movement of said document after said document has reassumed its flat condition, each of said toothed members having the apices of the teeth thereon spaced generally parallel to the path of movement through which said means moves said document relative to said toothed members, whereby the leading edge of each document is successively moved past a succession of apices of teeth, and said teeth on said toothed members being formed and disposed to present gently-inclined surfaces to said leading edge of each document as said document is being moved inwardly of said validator by said means but to present abruptly-disposed surfaces to the trailing edge of said document if an effort is made to pull said document through said validator in the reverse direction.