Apparatus for selectively ejecting or launching currency, coupons and advertising flyers, and other planar sheets

Abstract

An apparatus for launching sheets such as paper money. The apparatus includes an upper housing and a lower housing detachably coupled to the upper housing. The apparatus includes a feed assembly, mounted to an interior space of the lower housing, and the feed assembly includes a plate with a planar upper surface for receiving the sheets and at least one spring element applying a spring force upon the plate to urge the planar upper surface toward the upper housing. The apparatus also includes an ejection assembly, supported within an interior space of the upper housing, adapted to sequentially eject the sheets from an opening in the upper housing or the lower housing. The ejection assembly includes an electric motor and a battery selectively powering the electric motor. Spaced apart wheels are provided on an axle driven by the motor to eject the sheets a distance of one to three feet.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for launching sheets of material into the air, comprising:
 an upper housing;   a lower housing detachably coupled to the upper housing;   a feed assembly, mounted to an interior space of the lower housing, comprising a plate with a planar upper surface for receiving a plurality of the sheets and at least one spring element applying a spring force upon the plate to urge the planar upper surface toward the upper housing; and   an ejection assembly, supported within an interior space of the upper housing, adapted to sequentially eject the sheets from an opening in the upper housing or the lower housing.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the feed assembly comprises at least four of the spring elements each applying a separate spring force to the plate with a first pair of the spring elements positioned proximate to the opening and a second pair of the spring elements positioned distal to the opening. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the spring elements comprise compression springs and wherein the spring forces applied by the first pair of the spring elements is greater than the spring forces applied by the second pair of the spring elements. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ejection assembly comprises an electric motor and a battery selectively powering the electric motor, wherein the electric motor rotates an axle when powered by the battery, wherein a pair of spaced apart wheels are provided on the axle to rotate with the axle, and wherein the wheels extend toward the plate of the feed mechanism to contact an uppermost one of the sheets and to move the uppermost one of the sheets toward the opening when the wheels are rotating. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the motor rotates the axle and the attached wheels at a rotation rate whereby the uppermost one of the sheets is ejected a distance of at least 1 foot. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the sheets each comprise one of paper money, a paper or plastic coupon, a flexible flier, and a paper card. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein each of the wheels comprises a tire formed of low durometer material for contacting the uppermost one of the sheets. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the low durometer material comprises a rubber or a plastic with a durometer rating of less than about A-27. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ejection assembly further comprises an activation button accessible via an outer surface of the upper housing and wherein, when the activation button is move from a first to a second position, the electric motor is powered by the battery to rotate the axle with the attached wheels. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for launching sheets such as paper money, coupons, and informational fliers, comprising:
 a feed assembly comprising a plate with a planar upper surface for receiving a plurality of the sheets; and   an ejection assembly adapted to sequentially launch the sheets off of the planar upper surface,   wherein the ejection assembly comprises an electric motor and a battery selectively powering the electric motor, wherein the electric motor rotates an axle when powered by the battery, wherein a pair of spaced apart wheels are provided on the axle to rotate with the axle, and wherein the wheels extend toward the plate of the feed mechanism to contact an uppermost one of the sheets and to move the uppermost one of the sheets off of the planar upper surface of the plate when the wheels are rotating.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the motor rotates the axle and the attached wheels at a rotation rate whereby the uppermost one of the sheets is ejected a distance of at least 1 foot. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the sheets each comprise one of paper money, a paper or plastic coupon, a flexible flier, and a paper card. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein each of the wheels comprises a tire formed of low durometer material for contacting the uppermost one of the sheets. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the low durometer material comprises a rubber or a plastic with a durometer rating of less than about A-27. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the feed assembly comprises at least four spring elements each applying a separate spring force to the plate with a first pair of the spring elements positioned proximate a launch end of the plate and a second pair of the spring elements positioned distal the launch end of the plate, and wherein the spring forces applied by the first pair of the spring elements is greater than the spring forces applied by the second pair of the spring elements. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the ejection assembly further comprises an activation button accessible via an outer surface of the upper housing and wherein, when the activation button is move from a first to a second position, the electric motor is powered by the battery to rotate the axle with the attached wheels. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for launching sheets of material into the air, comprising:
 an upper housing;   a lower housing detachably coupled to the upper housing;   a feed assembly, mounted to an interior space of the lower housing, comprising a plate with a planar upper surface for receiving a plurality of the sheets and at least one spring element applying a spring force upon the plate to urge the planar upper surface toward the upper housing;   an ejection assembly, supported within an interior space of the upper housing, adapted to sequentially eject a number of the sheets from an opening in the upper housing or the lower housing, wherein the number is selected based on user input or is a quantity selected by a controller of the ejection assembly from a plurality of discharge quantities in a random manner.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the user input comprises operating an activation button to provide power to an electric motor rotating one or more wheels contacting the sheets on the plate. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the user input comprises input defining a maximum quantity of the sheets for ejection during an operation session. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the ejection assembly comprises a user interface for receiving user input defining an ejection rate controlling a rate of ejection of the sheets by the ejection assembly and wherein the ejection assembly further comprises a display displaying a count of a number of the sheets ejected from the opening.