SEAL IMPRESSION READER

PURPOSE:To read accurately plural seal impressions of a bill, by detecting the presence/absence of a seal impression at each beam scanning, and providing a seal impression cutout section cutting out a part detected for the seal impression for a length byond a certain length orthogonal to the beam scanning. CONSTITUTION:A reading range set on the bill is scanned for the beam, a reflected light is A/D-converted and an address 11 toward X is generated at an X address counter 11 synchronized with the scanning applied to a seal impressing cutout section 5'. Simultaneously, a seal impression detection section 13 discriminates whether or not one line scanning has a seal impression. When the seal impression is detected, a Y address counter 12 is cleared, and the seal impression is detected in the succeeding lines, the counter 12 is counted up. When no seal impression is detected in the scanning line, the value of the Y address counter 12 and the set value (minimum length of seal impression) are compared, and when the value is more than the set value, the output of the counter 12 is outputted to a memory section as the Y address and the output of the A/D converter 4 is cut out as the seal impression data. Thus, plural seal impressions is read accurately.