Ticket diverter module

Claim 1

In a diverter for handling flexible tickets having opposite first and second edges, said diverter including drive control means responsive to predetermined characteristics of said tickets for providing a dispensing signal to dispense a ticket or a capture signal to capture a ticket, the improvement comprising: an entry passage through which a ticket enters said diverter; an exit passage with two opposite ends and having a dispensing outlet at one of said ends and a capture outlet at the other of said ends; means for propelling a ticket through said entry passage toward said exit passage; an arcuate surface defining a substantially curved path from said entry passage to said exit passage; a stationary diverter ramp disposed adjacent said arcuate surface and said capture outlet, said ramp having a first surface for diverting a first edge of a ticket along said arcuate surface into said exit passage when said ticket is being propelled in said entry passage toward said exit passage and having a second surface for diverting a second edge of said ticket into said capture outlet when said ticket is being propelled in said exit passage toward said capture outlet; a single reversible drive means disposed in said exit passage between said dispensing and capture outlets for receiving the first edge of a ticket when said ticket is deflected by said first diverter ramp surface and propelling said ticket to a position in said exit passage where said first edge is between said reversible drive means and said dispensing outlet and the second ticket edge is between said second diverter ramp surface and said capture outlet and for, when said ticket has been propelled to said position, propelling said ticket through said dispensing outlet in response to a dispensing signal or propelling said ticket through said capture outlet in response to said capture signal; and sensing means adjacent said exit passage between said reversible drive means and said dispensing outlet for, when a ticket has reached said position, providing a presence signal to enable the provision of said dispensing signal or said capture signal.