Automatic transaction terminal having means for presetting the denominations of notes stored in a plurality of note cartridges

Claim 1

An automatic transaction terminal comprising: a plurality of cartridges for each storing bank notes of at least one denomination, note distributing means for performing at least one of storing notes in the respective cartridges and feeding out stored notes from respective cartridges, control means for controlling operation of said note distributing means; and note presetting means, commonly associated with all of said cartridges, for selectively presetting a pattern representing the denominations of the notes to be stored in each of the respective cartridges, said presetting means containing a plurality of individual signal storage elements which are grouped into sets such that each set is dedicated to a respective single one of said cartridges, said storage elements comprising mechanical on/off switch elements wherein on or off positions of said switch elements define said preset pattern representing said denominations of the notes to be stored in respective ones of said cartridges, each switch element defining a preset electrical state, the electrical states of said grouped storage elements defining said preset pattern by said on or off positions of said switch elements, said control means including means for reading said preset pattern defined by the preset electrical states of said grouped storage elements from said note presetting means, storing said preset pattern, and utilizing said stored preset pattern to control operation of said note distributing means so that each of said cartridges may store or feed out the note having the denomination preset by said presetting means through said note distributing means.