Cash box for paper currency

Claim 1

Bill handling apparatus comprising a bill-accepting unit; a bill-receiving container removably secured to the bottom of the bill-accepting unit having an opening at the top through which a bill entered in the bill-accepting unit may be pushed down for flatwise stacking of bills in the container, the bill-accepting unit having means for pushing a bill entered in the unit down into the container, the container having a closure for its top opening movable between a closed position in which it may be locked for precluding unauthorized access to the container and an open position for allowing bills to be pushed down into the container; the closure in its open position extending outwardly from the container; and means for releasably locking the container to the bill-accepting unit and precludng its removal from the bill-accepting unit unless the closure is closed including retaining means on the unit engageable by the opened closure where it extends outwardly from the container, the container being applicable to the bottom of the bill-accepting unit with the closure closed, the closure then being adapted to be opened for delivery of bills to the container and for interlocking of the closure where it extends from the container with said retaining means on the bill-accepting unit for locking the container to the bottom of the bill-accepting unit, the container being removable from the bottom of the bill-accepting unit on closing the closure with attendant disengagement of the closure from said retaining means.