An optical detection device particularly suitable for use in a bank note counting apparatus is provided. By the use of the optical detection device of this invention, the influence of dust or change in power of the light emitting element due to change in temperature or other factors is excluded to maintain the quantity of light received by the light receiving element at a constant level. The control circuit incorporated in the device of this invention includes a comparator for comparing the quan...

A paper sheet counting machine for feeding paper sheets, one at a time, and counting the number of the paper sheets, includes a circuit for detecting an abnormal flow of the paper sheets. In the circuit, the lengths of paper sheets are detected. A predetermined number of the detected signals are averaged. The newest length value is compared with the averaged value to provide a difference signal which determines whether an abnormal flow of the paper sheet has occurred. The averaged value is renew...

A discriminating method, wherein a bill pattern is extracted in accordance with signals derived from selected optimum channels out of a plurality of channels connected to sensors disposed in the path across which a bill moves and the bill is discriminated through comparing the bill pattern with a reference pattern set up previously in accordance with the discriminating operational modes and the kind of bill. Bill discriminating units are provided, each having a RAM and a multiplexer. The RAM per...

Functional parts which have a high probability of abnormal operation, e.g., bill jams, are built into a detachable bill container, and the transfer of bills is not performed in the main body of the automatic bill handling machine (i.e., bills are handled only within the detachable bill container). Those parts include the parts which perform mechanical operations such as the picking up of bills, one by one, stacking the bills in a temporary storage area, and conveying them to an outlet or withdra...

In a push-on switch comprising a moving contact 6 of partial-hemisphere-face-shaped resilient metal diaphragm which is disposed with its periphery on a pair of peripheral fixed contacts 2b,2b in a contacting manner and at its central part apart above a central fixed contact 2a in an isolated manner at normal state, the improvement is made such that the metal diaphragm moving contact 6 has an opening 6a having at least a protrusion 6b with respect to the opening 6a; so that the opening 6a allows ...

A process for the preparation of acicular .alpha.-iron oxide hydrate which comprises oxidizing a slurry of ferrous hydroxide having an excessive alkali concentration of 1.0 mol/l or above with an oxygen-containing gas, interrupting oxidation, adding an excessive quantity of an aqueous solution of a salt of aluminate, homogenizing and stirring the resulting mixture, again oxidizing it with an oxygen-containing gas to obtain a slurry containing free aluminate ion and .alpha.-iron oxide hydrate, ho...