In recent years, banknotes, such as the ¥2000 banknote, which have a length different from those of the banknotes already issued have been issued, and in order to cope with such a situation, i.e., in order to meet the need for handling the above-mentioned plurality of types of banknote which have different lengths with a banknote processing device, a variety of banknote processing devices which have been adapted to accommodate those banknotes having different lengths in the same stacker have been proposed.
For such a banknote processing device which accommodates banknotes having different lengths in the same stacker, it is necessary that, in order to avoid a banknote accommodated in the stacker bulging toward the slit side in the stacker guide, thereby colliding with a banknote subsequently transferred, resulting in occurrence of a paper jam, the trailing edge of a banknote transferred along the slit in the stacker guide be stopped at a predetermined position where it is engaged with the drooping prevention lever.
However, even if it is intended that, after feeding a banknote into the stacker guide, the trailing edge of the banknote is stopped at a predetermined position of the stacker guide, the stopping position of the trailing edge of banknotes having different lengths may vary.
For example, the trailing edge of the banknote having the greatest length among the banknotes handled can be relatively positively stopped at the position where it is engaged with the drooping prevention lever, on the basis of the relationship between the length of the stacker guide and the disposed location of the drooping prevention lever, however, in the case of a banknote having a shorter length, the trailing edge of that banknote may not be stopped at a predetermined position of the stacker guide, i.e., may pass the lower end of the drooping prevention lever, being stopped at a position where it is not engaged with the drooping prevention lever, which may result in occurrence of the above-mentioned paper jam.
Then, conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-163702, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-216209, and Laid-Open No. 2003-91763, has been taken a measure of disposing braking means comprised of a stepped portion for folding the edges of the inserted banknote in the direction of the width in order to increase the friction force to be applied to the transferred banknote in a part of the stacker guide that is at a downstream location in the stacker guide, or a part of a pressure plate for transferring the banknote from the stacker guide to the inside of the stacker, and causing this braking means to exert a braking force to the advance of the banknote transferred into the stacker guide in order to positively stop a banknote with a shorter length as well at the position where it is engaged with the drooping prevention lever.