Paper sheet taking-out and separating device and paper sheet handling apparatus

Abstract

A paper sheet taking-out and separating device according to an embodiment includes a first take-out part, a guide part, a second take-out part and a separation part. The first take-out part takes, by suction, a forefront paper sheet out of a plurality of stacked paper sheets and sends out the paper sheet toward a sending-out direction. The guide part guides the sending out of the paper sheet by the first take-out part. The second take-out part sucks the paper sheet sent out by the first take-out part and sends out the paper sheet toward the sending-out direction. The separation part separates a plurality of the paper sheets sent out in an overlapping manner by the first take-out part. The first take-out part and the second take-out part are positioned spaced apart from each other on opposite sides of the guide part with a predetermined distance therebetween in the sending-out direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A paper sheet taking-out and separating device comprising:
 an auxiliary take-out part including a suction belt, the suction belt being configured to suck a paper sheet, facing the suction belt, out of a plurality of stacked paper sheets and send out the paper sheet sucked to a sending-out direction at a predetermined speed;   a main take-out part provided on a downstream side of the auxiliary take-out part in the sending-out direction and including a take-out belt, the take-out belt being configured to suck a paper sheet, facing take-out belt, out of the plurality of stacked paper sheets and send out the paper sheet sucked to the sending-out direction at a speed faster than the predetermined speed;   a supply part including a flat bottom wall, a guide wall provided to rise substantially vertically from the bottom wall and a back-up plate, wherein the plurality of stacked paper sheets are to be placed on the flat bottom wall so that a front paper sheet of the plurality of stacked paper sheets faces both the suction belt of the auxiliary take-out part and the take-out belt of the main take-out part and so that an edge, in the sending-out direction, of each paper sheet is in contact with the guide wall, wherein the back-up plate is configured to push a rear paper sheet of the plurality of stacked paper sheets to the suction belt of the auxiliary take-out part and the take-out belt of the main take-out part, wherein moving of the plurality of stacked paper sheets to the suction belt of the auxiliary take-out part and the take-out belt of the main take-out part is guided by the guide wall, and wherein the guide wall defines a first take-out part and a second take-out part on the downstream side of the first take-out part in the sending-out direction by dividing the main take-out part into two parts; and   a separation part provided so as to face the second take-out part and including a suction aperture on a surface of the separation part facing the second take-out part, wherein the separation part is configured to separate two overlapping paper sheets which have been simultaneously taken out and sent out by the first take-out part by sucking one paper sheet closer to the separation part, out of the two overlapping paper sheets simultaneously sent out.   
     
     
         2 . The paper sheet taking-out and separating device according to  claim 1 , wherein an end of the second take-out part on an upstream side in the sending-out direction is positioned on the upstream side of the separation part in the sending-out direction. 
     
     
         3 . The paper sheet taking-out and separating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first take-out part and the second take-out part are turned into an on state which enables suction of the paper sheet, substantially at the same time. 
     
     
         4 . The paper sheet taking-out and separating device according to  claim 3 , further comprising a conveyance mechanism positioned on the downstream side of the separation part in the sending-out direction, the conveyance mechanism being configured to convey the paper sheet sent out by the second take-out part toward a conveyance direction, wherein
 the first take-out part and the second take-out part are switched from the on state to an off state which disables the suction of the paper sheet, substantially at a same time when a front end, in the sending-out direction, of the paper sheet which has been sent out by the second take-out part reaches a front of the conveyance mechanism.   
     
     
         5 . The paper sheet taking-out and separating device according to  claim 4 , wherein the first take-out part and the second take-out part are switched from the off state to the on state substantially at a same time when any two of the paper sheets adjacent one behind the other in the sending-out direction between the guide wall and the conveyance mechanism have an interval equal to or larger than a predetermined value therebetween. 
     
     
         6 . The paper sheet taking-out and separating device according to  claim 4 , further comprising a sensor which detects passage of the paper sheet through a predetermined point between the guide wall and the conveyance mechanism in the sending-out direction, wherein
 the first take-out part and the second take-out part are turned into one of the on state and the off state corresponding to the passage of the paper sheet detected by the sensor.   
     
     
         7 . The paper sheet taking-out and separating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first take-out part and the second take-out part are connected to a single chamber to which a negative pressure is applied by a pressure pump. 
     
     
         8 . The paper sheet taking-out and separating device according to  claim 1 , wherein a width of the suction belt of the auxiliary take-out part is narrower than a width of the take-out belt of the main take-out part. 
     
     
         9 . A paper sheet handling apparatus comprising:
 a paper sheet taking-out and separating device including:
 an auxiliary take-out part including a suction belt, the suction belt being configured to suck a paper sheet, facing the suction belt, out of a plurality of stacked paper sheets and send out the paper sheet sucked to a sending-out direction at a predetermined speed; 
 a main take-out part provided on a downstream side of the auxiliary take-out part in the sending-out direction and including a take-out belt, the take-out belt being configured to suck a paper sheet, facing the take-out belt, out of the plurality of stacked paper sheets and send out the paper sheet sucked to the sending-out direction, at a speed faster than the predetermined speed; 
   a supply part including a flat bottom wall, a guide wall provided to rise substantially vertically from the bottom wall and a back-up plate, wherein the plurality of stacked paper sheets are to be placed on the flat bottom wall so that a front paper sheet of the plurality of stacked paper sheets faces both the suction belt of the auxiliary take-out part and the take-out belt of the main take-out part and so that an edge, in the sending-out direction, of each paper sheet is in contact with the guide wall, wherein the back-up plate is configured to push a rear paper sheet of the plurality of stacked paper sheets to the suction belt of the auxiliary take-out part and the take-out belt of the main take-out part, wherein moving of the plurality of stacked paper sheets to the suction belt of the auxiliary take-out part and the take-out belt of the main take-out part is guided by the guide wall, and wherein the guide wall defines a first take-out part and a second take-out part on the downstream side of the first take-out part in the sending-out direction by dividing the main take-out part into two parts; and
 a separation part provided so as to face the second take-out part and including a suction aperture on a surface of the separation part facing the second take-out part, wherein the separation part separates two overlapping paper sheets which have been simultaneously taken out and sent out by the first take-out part by sucking one paper sheet closer to the separation part, out of the two overlapping paper sheets simultaneously sent out; and 
   a classification unit provided on the downstream side of the separation part in the sending-out direction, the classification unit classifying the paper sheet.