Bank note processing machine equipped with a cassette for accommodating bank notes

Claim 1

A bank note processing machine in which at least one cassette for accommodating bank notes is detachably loaded, the foremost one of the bank notes in the cassette being fed out one by one by feeding means provided in the cassette, the fed out band note being thereafter conveyed by bank note conveying means to the outlet of the machine, which comprises: (a) at least one cassette having therein a bank note accommodating portion, at least one feed roller, having a dispensing portion in an angular range about its axis, gate means for forming a gate gap for permitting one bank note to pass therethrough, a first bank note conveying means for receiving a bank note having passed through the gate gap to convey to a second bank note conveying means formed in the main body of the machine, a first driven rotary means to which a driving force is transmitted from the main body of the machine to rotate the feed roller and the gate means, a second driven rotary means to which a driving force is transmitted from the main body thereof to drive the first bank note conveying means, and lock means for locking the feed roller responsive to the cassette being detached from the main body of the machine; (b) first rotary drive means provided on the main body thereof and connected with the first rotary driven means when the cassette is loaded in the main body thereof; (c) second rotary drive means provided on the main body thereof, connected with the second driven rotary means when the cassette is loaded in the main body thereof and controlled independently of the first rotary drive means; and (d) lock release means for releasing the lock means in order to permitting the feed roller to rotate when the cassette is loaded in position in the main body thereof.