Dispensing of Currency

Abstract

Among other features, a cash dispenser includes a paper path arranged between an opening in a money box through which currency can be withdrawn for dispensing to a customer at a dispensing location that is spaced apart from the opening in the money box, the paper path including rotational shafts arranged to transfer the currency, and a housing that supports the paper path and is configured to receive the money box, the housing comprising at least two parallel spaced-apart molded side walls, the paper path having a third molded wall between the two parallel molded side walls.

1 . Apparatus comprising:
 a bill dispenser having a dispensing location at which bills are to be delivered to users;   a bill storage chamber having a withdrawal end from which bills are to be withdrawn and driven along a paper path toward the bill dispenser;   a skew detector positioned at the withdrawal end of the bill storage chamber, the skew detector including circuitry to determine the timing of the passage of currency along the paper path; and   a controller to initiate a jam recovery routine based at least in part on the timing.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a double detect mechanism positioned downstream of the skew detector to detect double bills that have been withdrawn from the chamber. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the skew detector includes optical sensors arranged along a direction at an angle to the direction of the paper path. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the skew detector also detects a length of the bill. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the double detect mechanism comprises
 a free end of an elongated finger configured to be moved, when the bill is driven along the paper path, by a distance that corresponds to a thickness of the bill, and   a pair of inductively coupled elements that are configured to be moved relative to one another by motion of the elongated finger to detect the distance that corresponds to the thickness of the bill.   
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bill storage chamber comprises a removable cassette that is withdrawn from the dispenser in a direction away from the paper path. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bill storage chamber comprises a removable cassette and the paper path lies between the bill storage chamber and the dispensing location so that the paper path prevents the bill dispenser from being removed from the side of the side of the apparatus that faces the dispensing location. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bill storage chamber is offset below the bill dispenser. 
   
   
       9 . A method comprising:
 feeding a bill from a withdrawal end of a bill storage chamber and along a paper path toward a dispensing location at which bills are to be delivered to users;   determining the timing of the passage of the bill along the path; and   initiating a jam recovery routine based at least in part on the determined timing.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the determined timing is provided by a skew detector. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising detecting a jam based on an amount of time for the bill to clear a skew detector. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a jam is assumed to be likely based on the determined timing. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein initiating the jam recovery routine comprises completing the transaction during which the jam occurred. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising detecting the presence of a double bill. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the decision to initiate the jam recovery routine is made without regard to detecting whether the bill comprises a double bill. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein detecting the presence of a double bill comprises
 pushing a free end of an elongated finger by an amount that corresponds to the thickness of the bill; and   by electromagnetic coupling determining the amount by which the free end is pushed.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein pushing of the free end causes rotation of the finger about an axis. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the amount by which the free end is pushed is determined by relative rotation of two inductively coupled elements.