Patents Examined by Gerald W McClain
  • Patent number: 8038142
    Abstract: A media delivery apparatus includes a media insertion portion and a media delivery port. A media guide surface is configured to guide media toward the delivery port. The feed roller is configured to feed the media toward the delivery port. The first pressing member is configured to press the media against the feed roller and the second pressing member is configured to press the media against the media guide surface. A driving mechanism is configured to drive the first pressing member. The first pressing member is moved from a waiting position and toward the feed roller and the second pressing member is moved from a retreating position to a side of the media guide surface interlockingly with the first pressing member. The second pressing member reaches a position at which the second pressing member presses the media against the media guide surface after the first pressing member reaches a position at which the first pressing member presses the media against the feed roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8020851
    Abstract: In a sheet separator of a sheet supplier, a friction separator and an electrostatic separator separate an uppermost sheet from other sheets of a plurality of sheets loaded on a sheet tray by a friction force and an attraction force generated by a non-uniform electric field, respectively. A conveyance member is provided downstream from the friction separator and the electrostatic separator in a sheet conveyance direction to feed the uppermost sheet separated by at least one of the friction separator and the electrostatic separator in the sheet conveyance direction. The friction separator and the electrostatic separator are arranged in such a manner that planes of projection of the friction separator and the electrostatic separator overlap or coincide in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction in which the conveyance member feeds the uppermost sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideto Higaki, Toshifumi Togashi, Manabu Nonaka
  • Patent number: 8006975
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided to convey and align sheets being fed to a processing machine. In the event of a machine “stop,” a sheet, which has been separated from an overlapping stream, is conveyed back into the overlapping stream by raising the rear sheet edge with a mechanical or pneumatic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Müller, Burkhard Wolf
  • Patent number: 8002271
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes: an image forming unit that forms an image on a surface of a conveyed sheet; a guide that guides the sheet conveyed from the image forming unit; a correction roller located downstream of the guide in a conveyance direction of the sheet, the correction roller correcting a curl of the sheet conveyed; a plurality of rollers disposed opposite the correction roller along the periphery of the correction roller, the rollers nipping the sheet with respect to the correction roller; and a guide member having a wheel that guides the sheet being guided by the guide and conveyed toward the correction roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junki Ueyama
  • Patent number: 7992859
    Abstract: A slide restricting member for restricting detachment of a feed roller which is rotatably supported and which is detachably held in an axial direction is held at a lock release position for allowing the detachment of the feed roller by a rib of a sheet feeding frame, a projection of an auxiliary member, and a snap fit. When the feed roller is mounted on the sheet feeding frame, the slide restricting member positioned at the lock release position is moved to a lock position in conjunction with a mounting operation of the feed roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sachiyori Shiina
  • Patent number: 7992861
    Abstract: A recording medium supply apparatus includes: a conveyance member that conveys a recording medium; a retard member, in contact with the conveyance member, that forms a contact portion between the conveyance member and the retard member and retards the recording medium by holding the recording medium in the contact portion; and a buckling prevention unit, configured to contact with the recording medium on the upstream side of the contact portion between the conveyance member and the retard member in a conveyance direction of the recording medium, that prevents buckling of the recording medium in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Furuya, Kaoru Yoshida, Yoshinari Iwaki, Shin Takeuchi, Minoru Ohshima, Dmitry Ivutin
  • Patent number: 7988144
    Abstract: A mailpiece selector device for separating mailpieces one-by-one from a stack of mailpieces and for transporting them downstream, the mailpiece selector device having a first guide followed by a second guide, both of which guides co-operate with a plurality of opposite selector rollers to select the mailpieces one-by-one and to transport them downstream, the first guide being able to pivot about a first pivot axis in opposition to first resilient returner, the second pivot axis being offset upstream relative to the first pivot axis, and the first and second guides having a driver for making it possible, above a predetermined mailpiece thickness range, for the second guide to pivot automatically when the first guide pivots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Neopost Technologies
    Inventors: Francis Coret, Yannick Claris, Christophe Peynet
  • Patent number: 7980556
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; a discharging roller pair that discharges the sheet, on which the image is formed, onto a stacking portion with a rotation in a first direction, and conveys the sheet to a re-conveying path for conveying the sheet to the image forming unit again with a rotation in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and a skew feed correction member that is provided in the re-conveying path, and contacts against a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the rotation in the second direction to correct skew feed of the sheet. The sheet conveying force when contacting the leading edge of the sheet against the skew feed correction member is smaller than sheet conveying force of the discharging roller pair when discharging the sheet onto the stacking portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsubumi Mizuno
  • Patent number: 7976014
    Abstract: A feeding device includes a mounting portion capable of having mounting a plurality of recording media mounted in a stacked state thereon, a delivering member which performs a feeding operation in a state in which its contact surface is in contact with a top recording medium of the recording media mounted on the mounting portion to perform delivery of the recording media by using the frictional force generated between the delivering member and the top recording medium as the transporting force, a separating member having an inclined surface against which the leading end of the recording medium delivered by the delivering member can hit up against, the separating member being fixed in place at a downstream side of the mounding portion in a feeding direction of the recording media, a gate member, and a gate urging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Satoshi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7967288
    Abstract: A paper supply apparatus includes: a placement surface on which paper to be transported is placed; a fixed guide that guides the transport of the paper; a movable guide whose distance to the fixed guide in the widthwise direction of the paper is capable of being adjusted and that guides the transport of the paper; a paper supply roller that abuts the paper in a position, on the side where the fixed guide is located, and that is rotationally driven so as to transport the paper; an abutment member, provided on the movable guide. The abutment member is disposed in a position so that a second abutment point where the abutment member abuts the surface of the paper is further downstream in the transport direction of the paper than a first abutment point where the paper supply roller abuts the surface of the paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Nishinakama
  • Patent number: 7967291
    Abstract: A document sorting machine having at least one pocket for stacking documents according to a common criteria. Each pocket has a gate for diverting the document from the transport of the machine and into the designated pocket. The pocket also has a kicker for moving the tail of the document away from the pocket's entry and into the pocket and a detent which allows the tail to be moved into the pocket but which prevents the tail from moving back towards the pocket's entry after the tail of the document has been moved into the pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: National Presort, Inc.
    Inventors: Federico Ayala, Brent A. Daboub
  • Patent number: 7954817
    Abstract: An image forming system includes a first sheet stacking device including a rack, provided downstream of an image forming apparatus in a conveyance direction of a recording sheet and connected with the image forming apparatus, for stacking the recording sheet delivered from the image forming apparatus; a second sheet stacking device, which is provided downstream of the first sheet stacking device and connected with the first sheet stacking device; and a controller for controlling the image forming apparatus and the first and second sheet stacking devices. At least one of the first and second sheet stacking devices has a job stop button for stopping a printing job, and when the job stop button is turned on while the printing job execution is in progress, the controller controls the sheet stacking device to stop a stack of a recording sheet to the rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Sato, Hisao Hosoya, Toshio Shida
  • Patent number: 7950653
    Abstract: A guide is proposed for devices for processing sheet material, particularly bank notes and checks, that is equipped with a guide body (1), with several guide wings (2) on the guide body (1), with at least three edges (15, 16, 17) on the guide wings (2) running parallel to each another and tapering to a point and with a guide drive (3, 4, 5) connected to the guide body (1) that sets the guide body (1) in motion in at least two different directions, wherein at least one of the two motions is a translational motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Wincor Nixdorf International GmbH
    Inventor: Elmar Berendes
  • Patent number: 7946580
    Abstract: A sheet material feeding apparatus capable of favorably guiding a sheet material to perform smooth feeding comprises a pair of rolls and first and second guide members and permits a sheet material to pass between the first guide member and the second guide member. One of the rolls has a plurality of circumferential grooves arranged between both ends of a sheet material feeding surface in an axial direction and spaced from one another in the axial direction, and the first guide member includes guide portions passing through the respective circumferential grooves and extending continuously to a downstream side from an upstream side between the pair of rolls in a sheet-material conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sankyo Seisakusho Co.
    Inventor: Heizaburo Kato
  • Patent number: 7946576
    Abstract: Techniques include sensing electric signals from an actuator during a document stacking operation and determining whether an abnormal event has occurred based on the sensed signals. The techniques may find particular applicability, for example, to document acceptors that include piston-type stackers driven by a direct current motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: MEI, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Deaville, Bob Mackenzie, Carl A. Phillips, Kenneth B. Wood
  • Patent number: 7946583
    Abstract: System for directing media from one an input media path to one of multiple output paths using a rotary diverter. The rotary diverter is a cylinder mounted for rotation at a crossover point, where input media paths and output media paths cross. The rotary diverter includes a funnel-shaped section longitudinally cut through the cylinder, the sides of the funnel-shaped section lying at an acute angle. A relatively narrow output end of the funnel-shaped section lies toward the apex of the angle, and a relatively wide input end lies opposite the apex. The input end is thus configured to receive media, and the output end is configured to output media. The rotary diverter can accept input media from one input media path, or from several paths, given the wide input section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Bridges
  • Patent number: 7942403
    Abstract: Various methods and apparatuses are disclosed for handling a sheet, wherein at least one projection extends across a stack of sheets such that corners of the sheet are bent when being lifted from the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: John A. Dangelewicz, Kevin T. Kersey, Timothy J. Carlin, Geoffrey F. Schmid, Michael A. Novick
  • Patent number: 7942405
    Abstract: In a mail processing machine, a fixed mounting of an envelope turning station relative to an upstream stuffing station, and therefore a simple construction of the drive for the envelope turning station, can be achieved in that the items of goods for despatch to be turned through 180° are drawn by grippers of a gripper chain into the region of horizontally opening tongs of the envelope turning cylinder of the envelope turning station, in such a way that, in each case irrespective of the longitudinal format of the items of goods for despatch, the latter are gripped by the turning cylinder tongs over their entire length, for which purpose the gripper chain, together with the stuffing table supporting it, is designed to be displaceable with respect to the turning station in the conveying direction of the goods for despatch, in a manner dependent on the envelope format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Dieter Sonnack, Eddy Edel, Wolfgang Hartl, Thomas Denzinger
  • Patent number: 7938396
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device has a sheet accommodating portion for accommodating a sheet stack, a sheet carrying plate for carrying the sheet stack and a pickup roller that dispatches the uppermost sheet of the stack. An elevator displaces the sheet carrying plate between a sheet feeding position where an upper face of the sheet stack contacts the pickup roller and a separating position where the upper face of the sheet stack is separated from the pickup roller. A first warm air mechanism blows warm air toward a side face of the sheet stack. A controller causes the first warm air mechanism to blow warm air to the side face of the sheet stack and causes the elevator to displace the sheet carrying plate between the sheet feeding position and the separating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Okumura, Yoshio Sugishima, Yoshihiro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7934721
    Abstract: An equipment for transferring sheets with change of direction for sheets entering along a first direction comprises output rollers to move the sheets along a second direction, right-angled with respect to the first direction, and members of engagement and movement, actuatable for engaging and moving the sheets entering along the first direction along the second direction up to the engagement with the output rollers. The members of engagement and movement provide a condition of reception in which define a space of reception for the entering sheets and a condition of engagement and movement in which engage the entered sheets and move the sheets for the engagement with the output rollers. The members of engagement and movement return to the condition of reception upon the engagement of the entered sheet with the output rollers for enabling a following sheet—to enter and to be moved along the first direction jointly with the movement of the previous entered sheet along the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: TECNAU s.r.l.
    Inventors: Giuliano De Marco, Alberto Massucco, Francesco Terrusi, Armando Aprato