Cutting and closure mechanism for ticket or voucher dispenser and method

Abstract

A cutting and closure mechanism for a ticket or voucher dispenser and a method for dispensing a ticket or voucher from a free standing roller printer provided with a shutter to prevent unwanted access to the ticket exit opening to prevent jamming or a backing-up of the printed tickets and comprises a connection to check and on/off card and provided with a shaft 2 connected to an eccentric cam 3 having a pin 4 associated with a combined shutter 6 and a movable blade 7 . Counterposed to movable blade 7 is an immovable blade 8 on parallel or staggered or juxtaposed planes, with blades 7, 8 positioned near an exit slot 9 for exiting of the printed ticket and to cut the ticket. The roller printer body 10 then determines an anti-breaking and containment structure for the shutter 6 maintained by a spring 11 juxtaposed to blade 8 so that the blades are maintained adjacent to each other so that the blades can cut the tickets and the shutter closes the exit opening.

1 . A cutting and closure mechanism for a ticket or voucher dispenser for cutting tickets or vouchers after printing of the tickets or vouchers and for preventing any entry into the exit portion for the printed tickets or vouchers for a roller printer for printing of the tickets or vouchers and for dispensing of the tickets or vouchers through the exit opening, comprising:
 a roller printer body ( 10 ) containing a paper roll ( 13 ) capable of having tickets or vouchers printed thereon, said roller printer body ( 10 ) including a ticket or voucher exit opening ( 9 ) downstream from said paper roll ( 13 ); and   cutting and exit-entry control means ( 6 ,  7  and  8 ) for cutting the printed ticket or voucher and for preventing any unwanted entry into said exit opening ( 9 ) including a shutter ( 6 ) for opening and closing said exit opening ( 9 ) when the printed ticket or voucher is to be dispensed through said exit opening ( 9 ) and for preventing access to said exit opening externally of said roller printer body ( 10 ) when said roller printer body ( 10 ) is not to dispense a printed ticket or voucher, and   said cutting and exit-entry control means including a movable blade ( 7 ) coupled with said shutter ( 6 ) and movable together with said shutter ( 6 ) relative to a stationary blade ( 8 ) to permit said printed ticket or voucher to move between said blades through said exit opening ( 9 ) when said movable blade ( 7 ) and shutter ( 6 ) are moved from a closed position closing said exit opening ( 9 ) to an open position for said exit opening ( 9 ) with said movable blade ( 7 ) cooperating with said stationery blade ( 8 ) to cut said printed ticket or voucher and said shutter ( 6 ) are moved to said closing position for closing said exit opening ( 9 ) upon completion of cutting of said ticket or voucher.   
   
   
       2 . The mechanism according to  claim 1 , including an eccentric cam ( 3 ) coupled with a motor ( 1 ), and a pin ( 4 ) coupled with said eccentric cam for imparting vertical motion to said movable blade ( 7 ) from rotary motion imparted to said eccentric cam ( 3 ) by said motor ( 1 ). 
   
   
       3 . The mechanism according to  claim 2 , including a shaft ( 2 ) coupling said motor ( 1 ) to said eccentric cam ( 3 ) for imparting rotary motion to said eccentric cam ( 3 ). 
   
   
       4 . The mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein said stationary blade has a first stationary face extending from the cutting tip of said stationary blade ( 8 ), and said movable blade has a first movable blade face extending from the cutting tip of said movable blade ( 7 ) and forming with said shutter ( 6 ) a combined unit movable together with said movable blade, said first stationary face and said first movable face being juxtaposed to each other in their non-cutting condition with said shutter ( 6 ) closing said exit opening ( 9 ) and parallel to and facing each other to establish a cutting area between said blades in their cutting condition forming a scissor cutting condition to permit the printed ticket or voucher to provide an area for said cutting tips of said blades to cut the printed tickets or vouchers, and spring biasing means having one end abutting to a second face of said movable blade and its other end being coupled to said roller printer body ( 10 ) for maintaining said blades juxtaposed or parallel or staggered to each other in their non-cutting condition so that said blades ( 7 ,  8 ) in their non-cutting condition permit the shutter ( 6 ) connected with said movable blade ( 7 ) to perform the function of a closure for said exit opening ( 9 ) to prevent any extraneous entry into said exit opening ( 9 ). 
   
   
       5 . The mechanism according to  claim 4 , including a paper passage ( 12 ) between said paper roll ( 13 ) and said exit opening ( 9 ) fixed to said body ( 10 ) for aligning the printed ticket or voucher with said exit opening ( 9 ) and said blades ( 7 ,  8 ) to permit the printed ticket or voucher to pass between said blades ( 7 ,  8 ) for severing said printed ticket or voucher from the paper supplied by said paper roll ( 13 ) as said movable blade ( 7 ) moves against said stationary blade ( 8 ) to sever said ticket or voucher from said paper roll ( 13 ). 
   
   
       6 . The mechanism according to  claim 4 , including a printing head ( 4 ) positioned between said passage ( 12 ) and said paper roll ( 13 ). 
   
   
       7 . The mechanism according to  claim 6 , wherein said cutting and entry control means ( 6 ,  7  and  8 ) define a single combined blade and shutter mechanism for closing and shutting said exit opening ( 9 ) subsequent to cutting the printed ticket or voucher and closing the exit opening and a combined scissor cutter formed by said movable and said stationary blade. 
   
   
       8 . The mechanism according to  claim 2 , including an output shaft ( 2 ) coupled with said motor ( 1 ) and connected with said eccentric cam ( 3 ) by said pin ( 4 ), said pin ( 4 ) being displaced from and parallel with said output shaft ( 2 ), said output from said output shaft ( 2 ) being coupled with a substantially central portion of said cam ( 3 ). 
   
   
       9 . The mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the tip points of the blades ( 7 ,  8 ) are oppositely disposed. 
   
   
       10 . The mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein both said blades have one substantially straight side and one substantially slanting side forming an acute angle therebetween, and said slanting sides being substantially parallel to each other and co-act with each other to form a scissor cutting operation and said straight sides being juxtaposed to each other and substantially parallel with each other. 
   
   
       11 . The mechanism according to  claim 2 , wherein the motor ( 1 ) driving the shutter ( 6 ) with said movable blade ( 7 ) forms an anti-breaking support structure while said shutter ( 6 ) and said movable blade ( 7 ) are maintained inside a sliding seat by means of a spring ( 11 ) placed between an inside part of said shutter ( 6 ) and a part of the printer frame or body ( 10 ). 
   
   
       12 . The mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the shutter ( 6 ) is fixed to the frame or body ( 10 ) of the roller printer such that said blades ( 7 ,  8 ) have counterposed cutting edges positioned on staggered planes and positioned proximate to said slot or exit opening ( 9 ) for removal of the printed ticket or voucher. 
   
   
       13 . The mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the shutter ( 6 ) is provided with a hole ( 5 ) for receiving a pin ( 4 ), said shutter ( 6 ) being provided at a remote portion thereof with said movable blade ( 7 ) having its upper portion provided with a cutting edge along a direction away from the movement of the shutter, said shutter ( 6 ) and said movable blade ( 7 ) together forming a unitary member, and said immovable blade ( 8 ) being in a counterposed position relative to said movable blade ( 7 ) and said shutter ( 6 ). 
   
   
       14 . A fastener provided with a cutting blade for a roller printer, comprising:
 an electric motor ( 1 ) provided with a connection to a check and an on/off card;   a shaft ( 2 ) connected to an eccentric cam ( 3 ) provided with a pin ( 4 );   a shutter ( 6 ) provided with a hole ( 5 ) for receiving said pin, said shutter ( 6 ) being provided with a movable blade ( 7 ) having an upper portion provided with a cutting edge along a direction way from the direction movement of the shutter movement, and an immovable blade ( 8 ) in a counterposed position relative to said movable blade ( 7 );   said shutter ( 6 ) being fixed onto the frame ( 10 ) of the roller printer such that said blades ( 7 ,  8 ) have counterposed cutting edges positioned on staggered planes and are positioned proximate to a slot or exit opening ( 9 ) for removal of a printed ticket or voucher; and   said motor ( 1 ) driving the shutter ( 6 ) with said movable blade ( 7 ) forming an anti-breaking support structure while said shutter ( 6 ) and said movable blade ( 7 ) are maintained inside a sliding seat by means of a spring ( 11 ) placed between an inside part of said shutter ( 6 ) and a part of said printer frame or body ( 10 ).   
   
   
       15 . The mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein said stationery blade ( 8 ) is fixed to said roller printer body ( 10 ). 
   
   
       16 . A method for preventing unwanted access to a printed ticket or voucher dispensing apparatus which is provided with a cutting and closure mechanism for cutting tickets or vouchers after printing of the tickets or vouchers which prevent any entry to the exit portion for the tickets or vouchers for a roller printer for printing of the tickets or vouchers and for dispensing the tickets or vouchers through the exit opening, comprising the steps of:
 providing a body ( 10 ) containing a paper roll ( 13 ) for printing of the tickets or vouchers thereon, said body ( 10 ) including an exit opening ( 9 ) downstream from said paper roll ( 13 ) and closing the exit opening ( 9 ) to prevent entry thereinto when a ticket or voucher is not being dispensed and a ticket or voucher is not being cut;   controlling the cutting and exit entry portion for cutting the printed ticket or voucher and for opening the exit opening for dispensing of the printed ticket or voucher for preventing any unwanted entry into the exit opening ( 9 ) when a ticket or voucher is not to be dispensed by coupling a movable blade to a shutter ( 6 ) which form a combined unit and are movable relative to a stationary blade ( 8 ) with the movable blade ( 7 ) and the stationery blade ( 8 ) cooperating with each other to cut the ticket or voucher and with the shutter ( 6 ) of the combined shutter ( 6 ) and movable blade ( 7 ) closing the exit opening after cutting of the ticket or voucher.   
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 16 , providing an eccentric cam ( 3 ) coupled with a motor ( 1 ) having an output shaft coupled with the eccentric can, and providing a pin ( 4 ) coupled with said eccentric cam and displaced from the output shaft for imparting vertical motion to the combined shutter ( 6 ) and movable blade ( 7 ) to impart rotary motion from said motor to the eccentric cam ( 3 ) for imparting linear motion to the combined shutter and movable blade. 
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17 , including a spring biasing the shutter for maintaining the blades juxtaposed to each other both in the cutting operative condition and shutter closing non-operative condition for the shutter to close the exit opening to prevent any extraneous entry into said exit provided solely for the exiting tickets or vouchers. 
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18 , including maintaining the blades in a parallel relationship after completion of a cutting operation and maintaining the blades in a spaced relationship to each other prior to a cutting operation to permit a printed ticket or voucher to pass therebetween prior to commencement of the cutting operation.