Self-service transaction apparatus and method

Claim 1

A self-service apparatus for conducting banking transactions, comprising: a housing having restricted access port means for permitting passage of articles into and from said housing; a dispenser of currency within said housing; a dispenser of printed statements within said housing; a repository for deposits within said housing; a multi-purpose robot having an article gripper movable in translation along orthogonal X, Y and Z axes to and between different locations within said housing, said article gripper transporting currency from said dispenser of currency to said port means, and transporting printed statements from said dispenser of printed statements to said port means, and transporting deposits from said port means to said repository; said article gripper of said robot including a pair of cooperating gripper jaws, first frame means mounting said gripper jaws for movement toward and away from each other, first drive means upon said frame means for imparting said movement to said gripper jaws, second frame means mounting said first frame means for rotative movement about an axis generally parallel to said gripper jaws, drive means for imparting said movement to said second frame means, third frame means mounting said second frame means for rotative movement about a second axis perpendicular to said first-mentioned axis, drive means for imparting movement about said second axis to said second frame means, fourth frame means mounting said third frame means for substantially vertical translatory movement, drive means carried by said fourth frame means for imparting said substantially vertical movement to said third frame means, fifth frame means mounting said fourth frame means for rotative movement about a substantially vertical axis, drive means for imparting said rotative movement about said substantially vertical axis to said fourth frame means, a base assembly mounting said fifth frame means for translatory movement along orthogonal substantially horizontal axes, drive means carried by said base assembly for imparting said movement to said fifth frame means.