Method and device for transporting value documents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (5) and a method for transporting value documents (1), wherein the value documents are individually transported one after the other along a transport path (10). A leading transport means (21, 22, 3a, R0), a speed adapting device (12), and a trailing transport means (23, 24, 3b, R5) are arranged along the transport path of the value documents. The speed adaptation device has at least one transport roller pair (25, 26, R1-R4), by means of which the transport speed of each value document is changed from the first transport speed (v1) of the leading transport means to the second transport speed (v2) of the trailing transport means.

Description

[0001] Method and device for transporting valuable documents

[0002] The invention relates to a method and a device for transporting valuable documents.

[0003] It is known to transport valuable documents one after the other with the help of transport means, for example by means of belts or rollers between which the valuable documents are clamped. The transport means can be arranged inside a valuable document processing device or outside of the valuable document processing device. It can happen that the transport means run at different transport speeds for the valuable documents. The difference in transport speeds can be small, for example due to slightly different drives of the transport means. However, the difference can also be large and intentional, for example because the transport means belong to different devices or have different transport tasks. The following transport means arranged downstream can run faster or slower than the preceding transport means arranged upstream.

[0004] At an abrupt transition from the preceding means of transport to the following means of transport, the valuable documents can be subjected to severe mechanical stress or even damaged. In the case of a slower-moving following means of transport, the valuable documents can be compressed and possibly folded, and in the case of a faster-moving following means of transport, the valuable documents can be stretched and possibly torn.

[0005] An object of the invention is therefore to provide a method and a device for reducing the risk of damage to valuable documents at the transition between transport means moving at different speeds. This object is achieved according to the invention by a method and a device according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0006] The invention proposes a transport device that transports value documents one after the other along a transport path and that has at least one preceding transport means along the transport path, which provides a first (e.g., constant) transport speed for the value documents transported by it, and - downstream of the preceding transport means - at least one subsequent transport means that provides a second (e.g., constant) transport speed for the value documents transported by it, which is different from the first transport speed, in particular is lower or higher than the first transport speed. The transport device has a speed adjustment device with at least one pair of transport rollers, which is arranged along the transport path between the preceding and subsequent transport means.The speed adjustment device is designed to change, in particular to increase or decrease, a transport speed of a value document transported at the first transport speed by means of the preceding transport means to the speed adjustment device with the aid of the at least one transport roller pair, in particular by changing or modulating the rotational speed of one or both transport rollers of the at least one transport roller pair, from the first to the second transport speed of the following transport means.

[0007] The speed adjustment device according to the invention with the pair of transport rollers allows the valuable documents to be accelerated or decelerated to a different transport speed with minimal risk of damage. This is of great importance for used valuable documents, for example, but is also advantageous for other valuable documents.

[0008] In particular, the preceding transport means is designed to transport the value documents to the speed adjustment device. And the speed adjustment device is designed to move the value document from the first transport speed of the preceding transport means to the second transport speed of the following transport means with the aid of the at least one pair of transport rollers.

[0009] The speed adjustment device can be configured to forward the value document to the subsequent transport means at the second transport speed or to transfer it to the subsequent transport means, e.g., at the end of the transport speed change or after the transport speed change. The subsequent transport means is configured to further transport the value document along the transport path after the speed adjustment device. In other words, the speed adjustment device is configured to adapt the transport speed of the value documents to the different transport speeds of the two transport means.

[0010] Preferably, the speed adjustment device is designed to rotate one or both transport rollers of the at least one transport roller pair at a variable or modulated rotation speed. In particular, the rotation speed of the at least one transport roller pair is modulated such that the transport speed of the respective valuable document is changed from the first to the second transport speed by the action of the at least one (preferably both) transport rollers of the transport roller pair rotating at a modulated rotation speed.

[0011] Between the preceding means of transport and the speed adjustment device and / or between the speed adjustment device and the following means of transport, there may also be additional transport elements along the transport path, e.g. guide elements, free-wheel rollers or similar.

[0012] An advantage of the speed adjustment device with at least one pair of transport rollers, for example, compared to conveyor belts used for speed changes, is that the at least one pair of transport rollers has a smaller extension along the transport path. This ensures that the speed adjustment can be carried out specifically for a single valuable document, without other valuable documents being in engagement with the at least one pair of transport rollers of the speed adjustment device. This allows for individual speed adjustment specifically for each individual valuable document.

[0013] A further advantage of the speed adjustment device with at least one pair of transport rollers, for example in comparison to conveyor belts guided by rollers used to change the speed, is that the transport rollers of the at least one pair of transport rollers have a lower inertial mass than conveyor belts guided by rollers. Therefore, the at least one pair of transport rollers can implement the dynamics of acceleration / deceleration with less inertia and thus more quickly. In preferred embodiments, the direction of the second transport speed essentially corresponds to the direction of the first transport speed, i.e. the respective value document is transported further after the speed adjustment device in at least approximately the same direction as it is transported towards the speed adjustment device.For example, the preceding transport means, the speed adjustment device and the following transport means form a straight section of the transport path of the valuable documents.

[0014] The speed adjustment device comprises at least one rotatable transport roller pair arranged along the transport path in the transition region between the preceding and following transport means. Each transport roller pair of the speed adjustment device comprises at least one upper transport roller arranged above the transport path of the valuable documents and at least one lower transport roller arranged below the transport path of the valuable documents, between which the respective valuable document is clamped. These rollers can act mechanically on a valuable document transported between them to accelerate / decelerate it. Each transport roller of the transport roller pair preferably has a uniform roller radius around its circumference.

[0015] The respective transport roller pair can be designed to clamp the respective value document between the upper and lower transport rollers in order to transmit a force to the respective value document, preferably by friction, in particular a force for accelerating or decelerating the respective value document. For example, the transport rollers of the respective transport roller pair are designed to accelerate / decelerate the respective value document relative to a value document (immediately following the next one along the transport path) being transported along the transport path by mechanically acting on the respective value document. One or both transport rollers of the respective transport roller pair can be set up to suck in the respective value document in order to transmit the force for acceleration / deceleration to the respective value document.Preferably, one or both transport rollers of the respective transport roller pair are designed to transport the value documents with friction.

[0016] The speed adjustment device preferably has at least one transport roller drive for the at least one transport roller pair and a control device for controlling the at least one transport roller drive. The control device is particularly configured to drive the at least one transport roller pair by means of the at least one transport roller drive such that the at least one transport roller pair receives the respective valuable document from the preceding transport means at the first transport speed, brings the valuable document to the second transport speed (accelerates / decelerates), and forwards or transfers it to the following transport means at the second transport speed.

[0017] The transport roller pair of the speed adjustment device can be driven by means of the at least one transport roller drive in such a way that the path speed of the transport rollers is varied, e.g. periodically, between exactly or approximately the first transport speed and exactly or approximately the second transport speed of the value documents.

[0018] The control device can be configured to drive the at least one pair of transport rollers by means of the at least one transport roller drive such that the path speed or rotation speed of the transport rollers is modulated periodically, i.e., repeatedly. This allows the transport speed of several value documents to be changed successively. These can be accelerated or decelerated in the same way or in different ways.

[0019] The path speed of the transport rollers is preferably changed continuously or steadily (i.e., not abruptly) from the first transport speed to the second transport speed of the valuable documents (continuously increased or continuously decreased) and then returned to the first transport speed (reduced or increased). Continuously changing the transport speed is particularly gentle on the valuable documents and also on the transport roller drives, as the mechanical stress on the transport roller drive is kept to a minimum.

[0020] The transport roller drive can be a modulatable rotary drive, e.g., a variable-speed motor. The control device can be configured to control the at least one transport roller drive such that it rotates at least one, preferably both, of the transport rollers of the at least one transport roller pair at a modulated rotational speed. Thus, the upper and / or lower transport roller of the respective transport roller pair can be driven by the transport roller drive. It may be sufficient for only one of the two transport rollers to be driven, while the other rotates (frictionally engaged by the clamped value document) when the respective value document is transported along by the driven opposite transport roller.Preferably, however, both transport rollers are driven at the same (varying) rotational speed, with the upper transport roller and the lower transport roller rotating in opposite directions to transport the respective value document along the transport path. The control device of the speed adjustment device is configured, in particular, to control the at least one transport roller drive of the at least one transport roller pair such that the transport speed of the respective value document is changed from the first transport speed to the second transport speed by the modulated rotational speed of the at least one transport roller pair.The control device can modulate the rotational speed of the at least one transport roller pair with the aid of the at least one transport roller drive of the at least one transport roller pair such that the transport speed of the respective value document is changed from the first to the second transport speed with the aid of the at least one transport roller pair, in particular by the modulated rotational speed of the at least one transport roller.

[0021] The device can have several identical or different speed adjustment devices of the described type, which can be arranged one after the other, e.g. in order to compensate for larger differences in the transport speeds of the preceding and following means of transport.

[0022] In order to prevent the valuable documents from rotating during acceleration, at least one further upper transport roller and / or at least one further lower transport roller can be arranged concentrically to the upper transport roller (e.g. on the same drive shaft) and laterally offset therefrom, or at least one further lower transport roller can be arranged concentrically to the lower transport roller (e.g. on the same drive shaft) and laterally offset therefrom. These form a laterally offset further transport roller pair, between which the valuable documents are also clamped and which accelerate / brake the valuable documents in the same way as the first-mentioned transport roller pair. The transport device has at least one preceding and at least one following transport means along the transport path, which can each have, for example, at least one conveyor belt and / or at least one transport roller and / or at least one pair of transport rollers or a combination thereof.For example, the preceding and / or following transport means comprise opposing conveyor belts or transport belts (e.g., running on rollers), between which the valuable documents are clamped during transport. However, the preceding and / or following transport means can also comprise one or more pairs of transport rollers with an upper and a lower transport roller, between which the valuable document is clamped. The following transport means provides a higher or lower transport speed for the valuable documents transported by it than the preceding transport means. In particular, the preceding and / or following transport means are designed to transport the valuable documents with frictional engagement.

[0023] In particular, the respective value document can be accelerated / decelerated from the first transport speed to the second transport speed by the rotation of the at least one transport roller pair of the speed adjustment device. For example, the at least one transport roller pair of the speed adjustment device can impart a temporary acceleration / deceleration pulse to each value document arriving at the transition between the preceding and following transport means in order to accelerate / decelerate it from the speed of the preceding transport means to the speed of the following transport means. This results in a more gentle acceleration / deceleration of the value documents than with abrupt acceleration / deceleration by the following transport means alone, i.e., without an additional speed adjustment device.Preferably, the speed adjustment device is designed to accelerate / decelerate a first value document, in particular each first value document that is transported downstream of a second value document immediately following it along the transport path, relative to the second value document. This allows the distance between the first value document and the second value document to be increased / decreased.

[0024] In a first variant of the invention, the speed adjustment device is designed to accelerate the value documents from the first to the (higher) second transport speed. By accelerating the value documents, the speed adjustment device can increase the distance between successive value documents. Compared to increasing the distance by decelerating the subsequent value document or by stop-and-go operation of the transport device, this acceleration has the advantage that the increase in distance does not have a decelerating effect on the upstream process, and no buffer storage for the value documents is required in between.

[0025] In a second variant of the invention, the speed adjustment device is designed to decelerate the value documents from the first to the (lower) second transport speed. By decelerating, the speed adjustment device can reduce the distance between the successive value documents. By reducing the distance between the value documents, it is possible to transport more value documents per length along the transport path than is possible with a greater distance. A section of the transport path located downstream of the speed adjustment device, e.g. the section of the downstream transport means, could thus be used as a buffer store for value documents, i.e. for temporarily storing or at least delaying the value documents if this is required for a subsequent process.

[0026] Alternatively or in addition to acceleration / deceleration, the speed adjustment device can also be configured to adjust the spacing of the consecutive value documents to one another. This can ensure that, after passing through the speed adjustment device, the leading edge spacing between the consecutive value documents is at least approximately the same for all or at least a large number of consecutive value documents. This enables more uniform processing of the value documents, e.g. a high stacking quality of a stack created from these value documents by a stacker wheel. If the leading edge spacing of the consecutive value documents is at least approximately the same, the value documents are transported evenly into the rotating stacker wheel, which improves the stacking quality.

[0027] The speed adjustment device also makes it easy to achieve different acceleration / deceleration rates for value documents of different lengths. To do this, the acceleration rate or duration is adjusted accordingly to the length of the value document, e.g., so that the leading edge distances of value documents of different lengths are the same.

[0028] For the adjustment, the speed adjustment device, in particular its control device and the transport roller drive, can be designed to control the strength of the acceleration / deceleration of the respective first value document individually, e.g. depending on the distance of the respective value document from the next value document and / or depending on the distance of the respective value document from the value document preceding it. For example, the speed adjustment device accelerates the respective value document more strongly if its distance to the value document following it is less than a lower limit distance and / or more weakly if its distance to the value document following it is greater than an upper limit distance. This control of the speed adjustment device can be based on a sensor upstream of the speed adjustment device (e.g.Light barrier(s) that measures the distance between consecutive valuable documents. Individual acceleration / deceleration of the valuable documents can advantageously achieve a more uniform spacing between the valuable documents.

[0029] To accelerate one or more valuable documents more rapidly than others, the modulatable rotary drive can temporarily provide a transport speed that is even higher or lower for the relevant valuable document(s) than for the other valuable documents. For a less rapid acceleration or deceleration of one or more valuable documents, a correspondingly lower or higher transport speed is provided.

[0030] Preferably, the distance between the last engagement point of the preceding transport means and the first (possibly only) engagement point (clamping point) of the at least one pair of transport rollers of the speed adjustment device is less than the length of the value documents and / or the distance between the last (possibly only) engagement point of the at least one pair of transport rollers and the first engagement point of the following transport means is less than the length of the value documents. The value document is then simultaneously engaged with the preceding transport means and with the (first) pair of transport rollers of the speed adjustment device. This has the advantage that the value document is clamped there in at least two consecutive positions. The value document is thus better guided during transport and skewing or lateral deflection (upward or downward movement) of the value document is avoided.

[0031] The short distance also allows acceleration / deceleration to be performed during clamping at these two positions. The speed adjustment device or the control device can, for example, be configured to begin changing the transport speed of the respective valuable document by the at least one transport roller pair at a time when the respective second valuable document is (still) being transported by the preceding transport means.

[0032] Typically, when the valuable documents accelerate relative to the preceding transport means, while the preceding transport means is still engaged / frictionally engaged with the valuable documents, the frictional force of the preceding transport means would counteract the acceleration of the valuable documents and place mechanical stress on the valuable documents. To minimize the mechanical stress during acceleration, the preceding transport means can be designed to transport the valuable documents in such an unfixed manner or with such low static friction that the valuable documents can be accelerated relative to the preceding transport means while being transported by the preceding transport means, e.g., they can be made to roll or slide relative to the preceding transport means without being damaged.For example, the preceding transport means is designed to transport the valuable documents without holding them in place with respect to their relative movement relative to the preceding transport means. To transport the valuable documents in such an unfixed manner or with such low static friction or without holding them in place, the preceding transport means can have an integrated freewheel for higher transport speeds, e.g., one or more transport rollers or transport roller pairs equipped with such a freewheel, or.

[0033] - the preceding means of transport transports the valuable documents by means of a friction force selected to be so low that they can be accelerated relative to the preceding means of transport or made to slide relative to the preceding means of transport without being damaged.

[0034] To minimize mechanical stress during acceleration / deceleration of the valuable document, even when the distance between the last engagement point of the preceding transport means and the first engagement point of the at least one transport roller pair of the speed adjustment device is less than the length of the valuable document, the preceding transport means can also be accelerated / decelerated synchronously with the (first) transport roller pair of the speed adjustment device, instead of unfixed transport. If necessary, the at least one transport roller pair of the speed adjustment device can continue to accelerate the valuable document even after the preceding transport means has left the engagement point.

[0035] In preferred embodiments, the preceding transport means is driven by a drive (i.e., it actively transports the value document and is not merely moved along by the value document), and the distance between the last engagement point of the preceding transport means and the first engagement point (clamping point) of the at least one transport roller pair of the speed adjustment device is less than the length of the value documents. In order to enable resistance-free extraction of the value document from the clamp of the preceding transport means when the value document is accelerated by the speed adjustment device, the preceding transport means is equipped with an integrated freewheel for higher transport speeds.

[0036] In particular, the control device can be designed to control a starting point in time at which the path speed of the (first, adjoining the preceding transport means) transport roller(s) of the transport roller pair is changed starting from the first transport speed, as a function of a sensor signal transmitted by a sensor. The sensor, which can comprise one or more light barriers, for example, is located in the area of ​​the preceding transport means and / or at the transition between the preceding transport means and the at least one transport roller pair of the speed adjustment device. It is designed to register the value document transported past, for example its front edge, and to transmit a sensor signal corresponding to the time of registration to the control device.For example, the sensor is positioned between the last engagement point of the preceding transport device and the first engagement point or the first clamping point of the transport roller pair. This allows it to register the leading edge of the respective valuable document at a time before it enters the engagement of the transport roller pair. For example, the sensor is positioned at the aforementioned transition such that it registers the leading edge of the respective valuable document when it is just leaving or has left the engagement point of the preceding transport device.

[0037] Alternatively or additionally, the control device of the speed adjustment device can have information about the first transport speed of the preceding transport means and information about the second transport speed of the following transport means. For example, it can receive this information from another control device (e.g. of the preceding / following) transport means or determine it based on the signal received from sensor devices (e.g. light barriers arranged along the preceding and following transport means). Based on this information about the first and second transport speeds, the control device can control the at least one transport roller drive of the at least one transport roller pair. For example, it can change the strength of the acceleration / deceleration of the respective value document depending on the difference between the first and second transport speeds.It can, for example, change the rotational speed of the (in the case of several transport roller pairs: the first) transport roller pair which it has when the respective value document arrives so that it corresponds to the first transport speed and / or adjust the rotational speed of the (in the case of several transport roller pairs: the last) transport roller pair which it has when the value document is handed over to the subsequent transport means so that it corresponds to the second transport speed (i.e. so that the path speed of the (last) transport roller pair is the same as the first or second transport speed). In the simplest case, the speed adjustment device has only one transport roller pair (not a cascade of transport rollers) between the preceding and subsequent transport means, viewed along the transport path.further transport rollers are used at the same position along the transport path, e.g. on the same shaft of the upper / lower transport roller of the transport roller pair. The control device is then designed to modulate the rotational speed of the transport rollers of the transport roller pair by means of the transport roller drive such that the web speed of the transport rollers is varied, e.g. periodically, between the first transport speed and the second transport speed of the value documents. In a further development, the speed adjustment device has at least two transport roller pairs (e.g.a cascade of transport roller pairs) which are arranged one behind the other along the transport path between the preceding transport means and the following transport means and along the transport path, and a plurality of transport roller drives for these transport roller pairs. The control device can be configured to control the transport roller drives of these transport roller pairs in such a way that the respective value document is accelerated or decelerated from the first transport speed to the second transport speed by the rotation of the transport roller pairs. The advantage of a plurality of transport roller pairs is that they enable larger speed changes with little space required, e.g. for stronger acceleration or deceleration processes.

[0038] The control device can be configured to control the transport roller drives of the at least two transport roller pairs such that the change (acceleration / deceleration) of the respective value document from the first transport speed to the second transport speed is carried out in at least two stages.

[0039] For example, the speed adjustment device has at least one first transport roller pair and at least one second transport roller pair, as well as optionally further transport roller pairs, along the transport path between the preceding transport means and the following transport means, wherein the first and second and optionally further transport roller pairs are arranged one behind the other along the transport path. The control device can be designed to control the transport roller drives of the transport roller pairs such that the value document is brought (accelerated / braked) from the first transport speed to an intermediate transport speed in a first stage with the aid of the first transport roller pair and is brought (accelerated / braked) from the intermediate transport speed to the second transport speed in one or more further stages with the aid of the second and optionally the further transport roller pairs.The intermediate transport speed lies between the first and second transport speed.

[0040] For example, the control device can be designed to control the transport roller drives of the transport roller pairs in such a way that the first transport roller pair takes over the respective value document from the preceding transport means at the first transport speed, accelerates / brakes the value document in a first stage to the intermediate transport speed and forwards it to the second transport roller pair, and in such a way that the second transport roller pair takes over the value document accelerated / braked to the intermediate transport speed by the first transport roller pair

[0041] - in a second stage to an even larger / smaller intermediate

[0042] Transport speed accelerates / decelerates and forwards it to one or more further transport roller pairs, whose transport roller drives are controlled by the control device in such a way that they accelerate / decelerate the value document from the higher / lower intermediate transport speed of the second transport roller (in one or more further stages) to the second transport speed and forward it to the subsequent transport means (R5), or

[0043] - in a second stage accelerates / brakes to the second transport speed and passes it on to the following means of transport at the second transport speed.

[0044] To achieve two accelerating / decelerating clamping points for each valuable document, the distance between the respective transport roller pairs of the speed adjustment device along the transport path is selected to be smaller than the length of the valuable document. This reduces the risk of acceleration / deceleration / skew when accelerating / decelerating the valuable document. For example, the rotation speeds of two of the transport roller pairs arranged directly one after the other are increased / decreased synchronously with each other while they simultaneously engage the valuable document. For example, the first driven transport roller pair, with its motor, is actively accelerated / decelerated when the second driven transport roller pair accelerates / decelerates the valuable document.Alternatively, for possible acceleration, the first driven transport roller pair can be equipped with a freewheel for higher rotation speeds so that it does not work against the acceleration force of the next driven transport roller pair.

[0045] The invention also relates to a device for processing value documents, which device comprises a first device module and a second device module, which are arranged one behind the other along the transport path of the value documents, and comprises the device for transporting the value documents described above. The first device module provides the first transport speed for the value documents, and the second device module provides the second transport speed for the value documents. The preceding transport means belongs to the first device module, and the following transport means belongs to the second device module. The second device module is arranged downstream of the first device module along the transport path of the value documents.

[0046] The speed adjustment device is then designed to change the transport speed of a value document transported at the first transport speed in the first device module from the first to the second transport speed of the second device module with the aid of the at least one pair of transport rollers.

[0047] The at least one transport roller pair of the speed adjustment device can be arranged at the end of the first device module or at the beginning of the second device module or between the first device module and the second device module, e.g. in a coupling module arranged between the first and the second device module.

[0048] The first device module can have a first module drive for driving the preceding transport means, and the second device module can have a second module drive (preferably operated independently of the first module drive) for driving the following transport means. If such decentralized drives provide different transport speeds for the value documents, the speed adjustment device can advantageously be used to enable a smooth transition between these transport speeds for the value document.

[0049] The second device module can be a component of the same value document processing device as the first device module or a component of another value document processing device located along the transport path of the value documents downstream of the value document processing device of the first device module. In the second case, the first device module, which belongs to a first value document processing device, can be arranged along the transport path of the value documents at the end of the first value document processing device, and the second device module, which belongs to a second value document processing device, can be arranged along the transport path of the value documents at the beginning of the second value document processing device. Accordingly, the above-mentionedCoupling module can be arranged between the first device module of the first value document processing device and the second device module of the second value document processing device and connect them if necessary.

[0050] The invention also relates to a method for transporting value documents, in particular with the aid of the device described above. In the method, the value documents are transported individually one after the other along a transport path of the value documents with the aid of a transport device, in particular by means of the transport device described above. The respective value document is transported with the aid of at least one preceding transport means at a first transport speed to a speed adjustment device which has at least one pair of transport rollers. The speed adjustment device changes a transport speed of the respective value document, with the aid of the at least one pair of transport rollers, from the first to a second transport speed of a subsequent transport means, which is different from the first transport speed.The respective valuable document is then transported further along the transport path by the subsequent transport means at the second transport speed. In particular, the valuable documents are transported one after the other to the speed adjustment device.

[0051] The features and advantages presented with reference to the devices according to the invention and the speed adjustment device apply accordingly to the method according to the invention. Further features of the invention emerge from the claims, the figures, and the description of the figures. The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. In the figures:

[0052] Fig. 1a,b,c A first embodiment of a device for transporting value documents with a speed adjustment device, calibration barrier signal (Fig. 1b) and temporal course of the modulated rotation speed (Fig. 1c),

[0053] Fig. 2a,b a second embodiment of a device for transporting value documents with a speed adjustment device,

[0054] Fig. 3 Calibration barrier signal ES and time course of the modulated rotation speed in the second embodiment,

[0055] Fig. 4a shows a value document processing device with several device modules and a coupling module with a speed adjustment device,

[0056] Fig. 4b two value document processing devices with a speed adjustment device connected between them,

[0057] Fig. 5 shows a third embodiment of a device for transporting value documents with a speed adjustment device (top) and modulated rotation speeds of the transport roller pairs (bottom).

[0058] Fig. 1a shows a transport device 5 by means of which value documents 1 are transported along a transport path 10. The transport device 5 has a plurality of opposing transport rollers 3 and opposing transport belts 21, 22 and 23, 24, which rotate around rollers and between which the value documents are transported in a clamped manner. Along the transport path 10, between the transport belts 21, 22 and 23, 24, a speed adjustment device 12 is arranged, which has a rotatable, driven transport roller pair with two opposing transport rollers 25, 26. The two preceding transport belts 21, 22 run at a first transport speed v1 and the two following transport belts 23, 24 at a second, higher transport speed v2.The transport speed v of the respective value document 1 is adjusted from vl to v2 while the respective value document is transported through or past the speed adjustment device 12. In the example in Fig. 1, the transport speed v2 is greater than vl and the speed adjustment device 12 accelerates the value documents from vl to v2. As a result, the distance between the value documents is increased from a first distance a to a larger second distance A. Alternatively, however, v2 could also be smaller than vl and the speed adjustment device 12 could decelerate the value documents and reduce the distance. Alternatively or additionally, the speed adjustment device 12 could also perform a variable distance adjustment in which - depending on the objective of the adjustment - the value document is accelerated or decelerated to a greater or lesser extent.

[0059] At the transition between the slower conveyor belt pair 21, 22 and the faster conveyor belt pair 23, 24, the value documents 1 are frictionally gripped by the mechanical engagement of the transport roller pair 25, 26 of the speed adjustment device 12 and are continuously accelerated or decelerated and transported further at the higher / lower transport speed of the conveyor belt pair 23, 24. The conveyor belt 21 is shorter than the conveyor belt 22 and transports the value documents with such low friction that the value documents can slide relative to the conveyor belt 21 without damage when they are accelerated by the transport roller pair 25, 26. Fig. 1b shows the light barrier signal LS of a light barrier L, cf. Fig. 1a, and Fig. 1c shows the time course of the path speed of the accelerating transport roller pair 25, 26, which is modulated between vl and v2.

[0060] When the leading edge of the valuable document is registered by the light barrier L at time t1, the rotation speed of the transport rollers 25, 26 is slowly increased. Shortly after time t, the respective valuable document 1 is clamped between the two transport rollers 25, 26 and is thus continuously accelerated from the first web speed v1 to the second web speed v2. The first web speed vl of the transport roller 26 corresponds, for example, to the transport speed of the conveyor belt pair 21, 22, which transport the valuable document 1 to the transport rollers 25, 26, and the second web speed v2 of the transport roller 26 corresponds, for example, to the transport speed of the conveyor belt pair 23, 24, which transport the valuable documents 1 beyond the transport roller pair 25, 26.Since at the time t2, at which the light barrier L registers the rear edge of the value document, the value document is still clamped by the transport rollers 25, 26, the rotation speed of the transport rollers 25, 26 is only reduced again at a later time t3, when the value document 1 has been safely transported out of the clamp of the transport roller pair 25, 26.

[0061] Figures 2a, b show a second embodiment of the transport device 5. Figure 2a shows the speed adjustment device 12 in a side view and Figure 2b shows a top view of the transport plane of the value documents 1. The arrow indicates the transport direction of the value documents 1 along the transport path 10. The top of Figure 3 shows the time profile of the light barrier signal LS and the bottom of Figure 3 shows the time profile of the web speed v of the accelerating transport roller pair 25, 26. Arranged one after the other along the transport path 10 of the value documents are a first transport roller pair 3a, an accelerating / decelerating transport roller pair 25, 26 of the speed adjustment device 12 and a second transport roller pair 3b, which have different transport speeds.The first transport roller pair 3a is driven by a motor M1 at a low rotational speed that corresponds to a low transport speed v1 of the valuable documents, see Fig. 3. The third transport roller pair 3b is driven by a motor M2 at a higher rotational speed that corresponds to a higher transport speed v2 of the valuable documents. Alternatively, the first transport roller pair 3a and / or the third transport roller pair 3b can also be driven by the drive of another transport means preceding the first transport roller pair 3a or by another transport means following the third transport roller pair 3b, so that it does not require its own motor M1 or M2. Alternatively, the motor M2 can drive not only the third transport roller pair 3b but also the first transport roller pair 3a with a fixed step-up / step-down ratio.

[0062] In order to prevent rotation of the value documents during their acceleration, a further transport roller 25 is arranged on the shaft of the transport roller 25 and a further transport roller 26 is arranged on the shaft of the transport roller 26, which can be identical to the transport rollers 25 and 26, respectively, are driven in phase with them and are used to accelerate the value documents, see Fig. 2b.

[0063] One or both transport rollers of the transport roller pair 25, 26 of the speed adjustment device 12 are driven by a stepper motor MS, which initially drives it at the rotational speed corresponding to the lower transport speed vl of the first transport roller pair 3a until a value document 1 arrives, see Fig. 3. The modulation of the rotational speed of the transport rollers 25, 26 is generated by varying the motor speed of the stepper motor MS, which is controlled by a control device S.

[0064] Although the transport rollers 3a are driven, they can be equipped with an integrated freewheel for higher rotation speeds, which allows the valuable document to be pulled out of its clamp without resistance, e.g., when the transport roller pair 25, 26 of the speed adjustment device 12 accelerates the valuable document. The motor M1 can also be used to reduce the transport roller 3a from the higher rotation speeds back to the initial speed. Otherwise, due to their inertia, the transport rollers 3a could rotate at a higher rotation speed than the first transport speed upon arrival of the next valuable document and decelerate due to undesirable friction on the subsequent valuable document.

[0065] Viewed along the transport path in Fig. 2a and 2b, four pairs of light barriers L1-L4 are arranged, which register the front and / or back edge of the value documents and forward the corresponding registration time to the control device S. A first optional pair of light barriers L1, located in the left section of the transport rollers 3a, registers the incoming front edge of the respective value document in order to announce the respective value document. The second pair of light barriers L2, located at the end of the transport rollers 3a but in front of the transport roller pair 25, 26 of the speed adjustment device 12, registers the arrival of the front edge of the respective value document 1 at time t0 and reports this to the control device S of the distance enlargement device 12 (light barrier signal LS2, see Fig. 3).Triggered by the leading edge signal reported by the light barrier pair L2 at time t0, the control device S controls the motor MS of the transport roller pair 25, 26 such that the rotational speed of the transport rollers 25, 26 is increased from a time t1 shortly thereafter in order to increase the path speed of the transport rollers 25, 26, starting from the lower first transport speed vl at time t1, up to the higher second transport speed v2 at time t2, cf. Fig. 3. As a result, the respective value document is accelerated smoothly and continuously from the first transport speed vl of the transport roller pair 3a to the second transport speed v2 of the transport roller pair 3b. The transport roller pair 3b transports the respective value document further at the higher second transport speed v2.With the help of the light barrier pair L4 arranged in the area of ​​the transport roller pair 3b, it can be checked whether the desired speed adjustment has been successfully carried out for the respective value document.

[0066] If the light barrier L3 subsequently reports to the control device at time t3 that it has registered the trailing edge of the value document 1 (light barrier signal LS3), the control device causes the transport roller drive of the transport roller pair 25, 26 to reduce the rotational speed of the transport rollers 25, 26 again from time t3 onwards, in such a way that the web speed of the transport roller pair 25, 26 is reduced from the second transport speed v2 back to the first transport speed vl, cf. Fig. 3. This takes place until a time t4 which lies within the time gap that exists until the arrival of the next value document 1', so that the next value document l zcan be detected again by the transport rollers 25, 26 at the first transport speed vl. Optionally, the registration times of the next value document determined by the light barrier pairs LI and / or L2 can be used to design the braking behavior of the transport roller pair 25, 26 such that the first transport speed is reached before the next value document is clamped.

[0067] Instead of a ramp-like progression of the angular or path speed of the transport rollers 25, 26, it can also be modulated using a sinusoidal or similar progression. To accelerate the valuable document more quickly to the transport speed v2, the acceleration ramp can also be selected to be shorter. This also allows the transport rollers to decelerate to the transport speed v1 at an earlier point in time, e.g., to prepare them more quickly for the next valuable document.

[0068] Alternatively, v2 could be smaller than vl, and the speed adjustment device 12 could decelerate the value documents and reduce the distance. Alternatively or additionally, the speed adjustment device 12 could also perform a variable distance adjustment, in which—depending on the objective of the adjustment—the value document is accelerated or decelerated to a greater or lesser extent.

[0069] Figure 4a shows a value document processing device 100 constructed from various processing zones implemented by modules 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, and 13. The value document processing device 100 comprises an input module 2, an operating module 3, an output module 4, an additional output module 11, a coupling module 13, and a shredder module 5, which are closed by covers 6.

[0070] Value documents to be processed by the value document processing device 100 are inserted into the input module 2 located to the left of the operating module 3. For this purpose, the input module 2 comprises an input compartment 7 that receives a stack of value documents. The value documents are then separated by a separator and checked by a measuring system in the form of a measuring section with test sensors, for example, for authenticity and / or denomination and / or fitness for circulation.

[0071] The input module 2 is followed by the operating module 3, which houses a rejection compartment 24 into which valuable documents are stacked that were rejected based on the measurements in the input module 2, for example valuable documents detected as counterfeit or valuable documents that could not be clearly identified by the verification sensors in the input module 2. The remaining valuable documents are transported further along the transport path in the valuable document processing device 100 to the output module 4, where they are output in bundled or stacked form. For this purpose, the output module 4 has several stackers, possibly banding machines, and valuable document output compartments 15. The optional additional output module 11 increases the output volume of the valuable document processing device and for this purpose has two output stackers 14 without banding machines, into which larger quantities of valuable documents can be output in loose stacks.In the final shredding module 5, valuable documents that are recognized as unfit for circulation, for example damaged or heavily soiled valuable documents, can be destroyed and then placed in a secure compartment for disposal.

[0072] The coupling module 13, which connects the output module 4 and the shredder module 5, contains a speed adjustment device 12 for changing the transport speed of the value documents along the transport path from the transport speed of the output module 4 to the lower or higher transport speed of the shredder module 5. The speed adjustment device 12 installed between the modules can then be used to implement different transport speeds in the modules or to compensate for synchronization fluctuations in the drives of the individual modules.

[0073] Alternatively or additionally, one or more speed adjustment devices 12 can also be present between the other modules 2, 3, 11, and 4, which adjust the transport speed of the value documents along the transport path from the transport speed of the respective preceding module to the transport speed of the respective subsequent module. This is particularly advantageous when decentralized drives are used for the various modules in the value document processing device 100.

[0074] Figure 4b shows a device 1000 with two value document processing devices 101 and 102, which are arranged one after the other along the transport path 10 of the value documents. The first value document processing device 101 has a first device module 4, and the second value document processing device 102 has a second device module 5. Between the two device modules 4 and 5 is a coupling module 13 with one or more speed adjustment devices 12, which accelerate or decelerate the value document from the first transport speed v1 of the first value document processing device 101 to the second transport speed v2 of the second value document processing device 102.

[0075] Fig. 5 shows a third embodiment of a device for transporting valuable documents with a speed adjustment device 12, which has four driven transport roller pairs R1-R4 arranged one behind the other along the transport path 10. The preceding transport roller pair R0 transports the valuable documents 1 at the first transport speed v1 to the speed adjustment device 12, and the following transport roller pair R5 transports the valuable documents 1 coming from the speed adjustment device 12 further at the second transport speed v2. The rotation speeds of the transport roller pairs R0 and R5 are constant. The rotation speeds of the transport roller pairs R1-R4 of the speed adjustment device 12 are modulated.

[0076] A control device S of the speed adjustment device 12 controls the transport roller drives MR1-MR4 of the four transport roller pairs R1-R4 such that the acceleration of the respective value document from the first transport speed v1 to the second transport speed v2 is carried out in four discrete stages.

[0077] In the speed diagrams in Fig. 5 below, the distance traveled x of the leading edge of the respective value document is shown on the easting axis and the path speeds v(R0), v(R1), v(R2), v(R3), v(R4) and v(R5) of the transport roller pairs R0-R5 as the leading edge of the respective value document passes the respective transport roller are shown on the northing axis. For illustration, the corresponding position of the value document along the transport path 10 is shown below the diagram v(R0).

[0078] The rotation speed of the transport roller pair RI has a target rotation speed v(Rl.Target)=vl. The current rotation speed of the transport roller pair RI varies over time and is increased from its own target rotation speed v(Rl.Target) to the target rotation speed of the following roller v(R2.Target) as soon as the leading edge of the valuable document is clamped by the following transport roller pair R2, see diagram v(Rl). The rotation speeds of the transport roller pairs R2-R4 have a target rotation speed v(Rn.Target), where n=2, 3, 4. The current rotation speed of the respective transport roller R1-R4 varies over time.

[0079] - between the target rotation speed v(Rn-l.Soll) of the previous transport roller,

[0080] - its own target rotation speed v(Rn.Soll) and

[0081] - and the target rotation speed of the following roll v(Rx+l.Soll).

[0082] The following applies:

[0083] - v(Rn) < v(Rn.Debit) or v(Rn) = v(Rn-l.Debit), until the front edge of the banknote is clamped by the transport roller pair Rn,

[0084] - Acceleration of v(Rn) from v(Rn-l.Soll) to its own target rotation speed v(Rn.Soll),

[0085] - Transport of the value document at the target rotation speed v(Rn.Soll) until the subsequent clamping of the transport roller pair Rn+1,

[0086] - further acceleration from v(Rn.Soll) to v(Rn+l.Soll) as soon as the front edge of the value document is clamped by the following transport roller pair Rn+1.

[0087] After acceleration, the valuable document follows the speed of the transport roller pair Rn+1 until the trailing edge has moved out of the clamp of the transport roller pair Rn. The transport roller pair Rn is then decelerated to the rotation speed v(Rn) = v(Rn-l.Target) for the next valuable document (n=l-4).

[0088] In order to ensure that the respective transport roller pair Rn (n=l-4) follows the rotation speed of the following transport roller pair Rn+1 (which is greater than the target rotation speed v(Rn.target)), the rotation of the respective transport roller pair Rn is actively accelerated synchronously with the motor speed of the transport rollers Rn+1. Alternatively, the respective transport roller pair Rn can be equipped with a freewheel for higher rotation speeds. In order to obtain two accelerating clamping points for the respective value document, the distance between the respective transport roller pairs RI and R2 or R2 and R3 or R3 and R4 along the transport path is selected to be smaller than the value document length. This reduces the risk of the value document running up / down / skew, i.e. the risk that the value document becomes slanted or offset laterally to the right or left during acceleration.

Claims

Patent claims Device (5) for transporting value documents (1) with a transport device (3a-b, 21-24, R0-R5) which is designed to transport the value documents one after the other along a transport path (10) and which has at least one preceding transport means (21, 22, 3a, R0) along the transport path, which provides a first transport speed (vl) for the value documents transported by it, and at least one following transport means (23, 24, 3b, R5) which provides a second transport speed (v2) for the value documents transported by it, which is different from the first transport speed (vl), characterized in that the device (5) has a speed adjustment device (12) with at least one pair of transport rollers (25, 26, R1-R4),which is arranged along the transport path (10) between the preceding and the following transport means, and in that the speed adjustment device (12) is designed to change a transport speed (v) of a value document (1) transported at the first transport speed (v1) towards the speed adjustment device with the aid of the at least one transport roller pair (25, 26, R1-R4), in particular by changing a rotational speed of at least one transport roller of the at least one transport roller pair, from the first to the second transport speed (v2). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the speed adjustment device (12) has at least one transport roller drive (MS, MR1-MR4) for the at least one transport roller pair (25, 26, R1-R4), and a control device (S) for controlling the at least one transport roller drive, which is designed to control the at least one transport roller drive (25, 26, R1-R4) such that it rotates at least one, preferably both, of the transport rollers of the at least one transport roller pair (25, 26, R1-R4) at a variable rotational speed, in particular rotates at a modulated rotational speed.Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the control device (S) is designed to change, in particular to modulate, the rotational speed of at least one transport roller of the at least one transport roller pair with the aid of the at least one transport roller drive (MS, MR1-MR4) of the at least one transport roller pair (25, 26, R1-R4) in such a way that the transport speed of the respective value document is changed from the first (v1) to the second transport speed (v2) by the action of the at least one transport roller (25, 26) rotating at a modulated rotational speed.Device according to one of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the control device is designed to drive one or both transport rollers of the at least one transport roller pair (25, 26, R1-R4) by means of the at least one transport roller drive such that the at least one transport roller pair continuously changes the transport speed (v) of the respective value document from the first to the second transport speed. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the region of the preceding transport means and / or at the transition between the preceding transport means and the at least one transport roller pair of the speed adjustment device, at least one sensor (L, LI, L2) is arranged, which is designed for this purpose. is to register the value document transported past and to transmit a sensor signal corresponding to the time of registration to the control device, wherein the control device is designed to control a start time at which a web speed of the respective transport roller(s) of the transport roller pair is changed starting from the first transport speed, depending on the sensor signal transmitted by the sensor.

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control device (S) of the speed adjustment device (12) has information about the first transport speed (vl) of the preceding transport means and information about the second transport speed (v2) of the following transport means, and on the basis of this information to control the at least one transport roller drive (MS, MR1-MR4) of the at least one transport roller pair, in particular the changing of the rotation speed of at least one transport roller of the at least one transport roller pair.

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance between a last engagement point of the at least one transport roller pair (25, 26, R1-R4) and a first engagement point of the following transport means (23, 24, 3b, R5) is less than the length of the value documents, and / or that the distance between a last engagement point of the preceding transport means (21, 22, 3a, R0) and a first engagement point of the at least one transport roller pair (25, 26, R1-R4) along the trans- port route is less than the length of the valuable documents, whereby the preceding means of transport is preferably equipped with an integrated freewheel.

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the speed adjustment device (12) between the preceding and the following transport means, viewed along the transport path, has only one transport roller pair (25, 26), and in that the control device is designed to modulate the rotational speed of at least one transport roller of the transport roller pair (25, 26) by means of the transport roller drive such that the web speed of the at least one transport roller is varied, in particular periodically, between the first transport speed (v1) and the second transport speed (v2) of the value documents.

9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the speed adjustment device (12) has at least two transport roller pairs (R1-R4) which are arranged one behind the other along the transport path between the preceding transport means (RO) and the following transport means (R5) and along the transport path, and has a plurality of transport roller drives (MR1-MR4) for these transport roller pairs, wherein the control device is set up to control the transport roller drives (MR1-MR4) of the transport roller pairs (R1-R4) such that the respective value document is brought, in particular accelerated or braked, from the first transport speed (v1) to the second transport speed (v2) by the rotation of the transport roller pairs (R1-R4).

10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the speed adjustment device (12) along the transport path between the preceding transport means (RO) and the following transport means (R5) has at least a first transport roller pair (RI) and at least a second transport roller pair (R2) and optionally further transport roller pairs (R3, R4), wherein the first and the second and optionally the further transport roller pairs are arranged one behind the other along the transport path and wherein the control device is designed to control the transport roller drives (MR1-MR4) of the transport roller pairs (R1-R4) such that the value document is brought, in particular accelerated / braked, from the first transport speed (vl) to an intermediate transport speed (vR2.Soll-vR4.Soll) in a first stage with the aid of the first transport roller pair (RI) and in one or more further stages with the aid of the second and optionallythe further transport roller pairs (R2, R3, R4) are brought from the intermediate transport speed to the second transport speed (v2), in particular accelerated / braked. Device according to one of claims 9 to 10, characterized in that the transport roller pairs of the speed adjustment device (12) are each spaced apart from one another along the transport path by a distance that is less than the length of the value documents. Device (100, 1000) for processing value documents, which device has the device (5) for transporting the value documents according to one of the preceding claims and. - a first device module (4) and a second device module (5) which are arranged one behind the other along the transport path of the value documents, wherein the preceding transport means (21, 22, 3a) belongs to the first device module (4) and the following transport means (23, 24, 3b) belongs to the second device module (5), wherein the first device module (4) in particular has a first module drive for driving the preceding transport means and the second device module (5) has a second module drive for driving the subsequent transport means.

13. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the second device module is a component of the same value document processing device (100) as the first device module or that the second device module (5) is a component of another value document processing device (102) which is located along the transport path of the value documents downstream of the value document processing device (101) of the first device module (4).

14. Device according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the at least one pair of transport rollers (25, 26, R1-R4) of the speed adjustment device (12) is arranged at the end of the first device module (4) or at the beginning of the second device module (5) or between the first device module and the second device module, e.g. in a coupling module (13) arranged between the first and the second device module.

15. A method for transporting value documents (1), in particular with the aid of the device (5) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the value documents (1) are transported one after the other along a transport path (10) with the aid of a transport device (3a-b, 21-24), wherein - the value documents are transported by means of at least one preceding transport means (21, 22, 3a) at a first transport speed (vl) to a speed adjustment device (12) which has at least one pair of transport rollers (25, 26), and - the speed adjustment device determines a transport speed (v) of the respective value document, with the aid of the at least one Transport roller pair (25, 26, R1-R4) is changed from the first to a second transport speed (v2) of a subsequent transport means (23, 24, 3b), which is different from the first transport speed (vl), and - the respective value document is transported further along the transport path with the aid of the subsequent transport means (23, 24, 3b) at the second transport speed (v2).

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