Abstract:
In a currency acceptor, a transport having a reversible drive conveys a bill to be tested along a path of travel past a first photoelectric detector, a transducer head at a test station for sensing the physical properties of the bill, and then a second photoelectric detector. If the grid areas on opposite sides of the portrait on the bill have physical properties indicative of validity, testing circuitry responsive to the head produces an accept signal as each grid area passes the head. To be deemed valid, the first grid area must cause the production of an accept signal, the leading and trailing edges of the bill must be concurrently detected by the two photoelectric detectors as the portrait passes the head (determines that the bill is not too short), the second grid area must cause the production of a second accept signal by the time the bill reaches a predetermined position along the path, and thereafter the first photoelectric detector must not detect the bill or another, following bill until such time that the bill completely passes the second photoelectric detector and is accepted. If an invalid condition is encountered, the transport drive is reversed and the bill or counterfeit material is returned to the depositor and thereby rejected.
Abstract:
A combined optical and magnetic transducer for sensing both optical and magnetic properties of an article, for example, a piece of paper currency or other document having both visible and magnetic markings to be tested or read, an information-bearing medium such as a data-recording tape to be read, or the like. The transducer comprises a magnetic-sensing head having a transparent gap separating the poles of the magnetic core of the head, a photoelectric element being disposed in the head in alignment with the gap. Outside the head, one side of the article contacts or is in close proximity to the poles at the gap, and the article is illuminated by a light source, so that both magnetic properties and optical properties of the article may be detected simultaneously during relative movement of the article and the transducer.
Abstract:
1,240,639. Photo-electric currency valedators. VENDO CO. May 27, 1970 [Dec.19, 1969], No.25343/70. Heading G1A. [Also in Divisions G4-G6] A combined optical and magnetic transducer 20 comprises a magnetic core 22 with a transparent gap 24 which may be a glass or quartz spacer and an optical element 36 disposed to sense the optical properties of an article 12 through the gap. In the embodiment described the article is a currency note with magnetic markings 14 carried by a transparent conveyer 10 but may also be, for example, a recording tape; a light source 16 coacts with a diffused-junction silicon photo-voltaic light sensor to determine the transmittance of the note and coil 26 delivers an output through capacitor 32 indicative of the sensed magnetic properties. The same zone of the article is therefore sensed independently and simultaneously for optical and magnetic information.