Abstract: A catch tray for a copier/printer holds and stacks copies of a wide variety of sizes exiting a copier/printer without operator involvement. The copies are allowed to fall into a funnel type baffling device with flexible friction paddles that drive the incoming copies into the catch tray and holds them in place while simultaneously allowing a major portion of each copy sheet to flip and hang down over a curved portion of the outer wall of the catch tray.

Abstract: An apparatus for decurling a sheet is disclosed. The apparatus includes a decurler shaft and a first belt positionable to contact an arcuate portion of the decurler shaft. The apparatus further includes a second belt positionable to cantact the first belt and to bend around the arcuate portion of the decurler shaft. Moreover, the apparatus includes a mechanism for advancing the sheet between the first belt and the second belt so as to bend the sheet around the arcuate portion of the decurler shaft.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing the stiffness of a sheet, such as a currency note, includes first cooperating rollers (36, 38) and second cooperating rollers (28, 32) arranged to urge the sheet along a feed path (48) The first rollers (36, 38) engage frictionally with the sheet and are caused to rotate with a greater peripheral speed than the second rollers (28, 32). As a result, there is a tendency for the first rollers (36, 38) to cause that portion of the sheet between the first and second rollers (36, 38; 28, 32) to buckle, this tendency being resisted if the sheet has a required degree of stiffness. First and second sensors (66, 68) are disposed on opposite sides of said feed path (48) for sensing a deflection of said portion of said sheet away from the feed path (48) by at least a predetermined amount, brought about by buckling of the sheet due to the sheet being insufficiently stiff.

Abstract: A high speed apparatus for pocketing documents in a pocket. A document to be pocketed is diverted from a document track towards a cupping apparatus by a pocket selector. The cupping apparatus includes an initial cupping rib and first, second, and third drive rollers, with a metal pinch roller being positioned opposite the second drive roller to cup a document to be pocketed. The leading edge of the cupped document encounters a document spring to create a "travelling wave" which functions to push the trailing edges of documents already pocketed away from an entry point to the pocket to enable the document to be pocketed to enter the pocket without collision and to enter in the right order. The document spring has a rectangular opening in each end thereof to enable the end to be secured to a rectangular boss located on a guide member within the apparatus to provide a quick change construction.

Abstract: A mechanism for applying adhesive to a sheet comprising a plurality of glue applicators comprising valves or nozzles adapted to form a charge of adhesive at the tip of each. The sheet is moved toward the nozzles to permit adhesive spots to be deposited on the sheet. The nozzles have periods of deactivation after which they are reactivated. A cleaning and moistening sponge (or a tray with appropriate fluids) is provided to maintain the adhesive in the nozzles in usable condition during periods of deactivation so that the adhesive may be immediately used and deposited on the sheet upon reactivation of the nozzles.

Abstract: An image reproduction machine has an outlet opening through which successive image-imprinted paper sheets are forwardly discharged by a spaced series of exit roller sets. The discharged sheets are delivered into an open-topped housing well area having a horizontal bottom surface with a back edge forwardly and downwardly offset from the outlet opening, and a ramped surface extending downwardly and rearwardly from the horizontal surface back edge. A deflector bar adjacent the outlet opening has first downwardly projecting portions that engage each discharging sheet and temporarily corrugate and stiffen it in a manner assuring that its front end portion will forwardly clear the rear horizontal surface edge before bending down to its level. These downwardly projecting portions are interdigitated with the exit roller sets and positioned to perform their temporary corrugation function without crinkling the discharging sheets.

Abstract: A receive magazine for collecting and transporting sheets of exposed photographic media. The receive magazine includes an elongated, light-tight enclosure having front and back walls, top and bottom walls, and first and second end walls. Sheets of media are gravity fed into the magazine entrance through a collection door on the top wall of the enclosure. The collection door includes a media-receiving slot, a shutter and a spring for biasing the shutter to a normally closed, light-tight position over the slot. A lower downwardly sloping resilient member mounted to the front wall engages the sheets as they are inserted into the magazine and forces the sheets into a vertically stacked arrangement against the back wall of the enclosure, away from the entrance. A ramp surface on the back wall guides sheets being inserted over previously collected sheets. A compound curved surface on the back wall of the enclosure below the ramp surface arcs the sheets to minimize contact during insertion.

Abstract: A recording medium discharge mechanism which discharges a recording medium (S) into a discharge tray (14) using a sheet discharge roller (69) and a sheet discharge biasing roller (72) that confronts the sheet discharge roller (66). The sheet discharge roller (69) has a plurality of vortical teeth extending in the direction of rotation of the sheet discharge roller. When the tail end of the recording medium (S) approaches the discharge roller (69), the circumferential speed of the sheet discharge roller (69) is increased so that the recording medium (S) can be accelerated into the sheet discharge tray (14) while biasing the tail end of the recording medium (S).

Abstract: An improved bill transport and stacking mechanism is provided for currency handling machines and is adapted for efficient transport and stacking of curled currency bills, documents and the like. The bill transport path is provided with members for exerting transverse bending forces on opposed side edges of a bill immediately before the bill moves away from positive contact with the transport path surface. The transverse bending forces effectively "stiffen" the leading longitudinal bill edge so as to counteract any tendency the bill has to curl away from sustained contact with the transport path. The arrangement prevents curled bills from conforming to their original curled shape and forces such bills to be positively relayed from the bill transport path onto stacker blades positioned immediately downstream thereof.

Abstract: An automatic document conveying device for an image processing machine in which a transparent plate, on which to place a document to be processed, is disposed on the upper surface of the housing. The automatic document conveying device includes a document table for holding documents to be processed, a document receiving tray for receiving documents after they have been processed, and means for feeding documents from the document table through the processing to the document receiving tray. A document delivery roller moves the document from the transparent plate, following processing of the document, along a document delivery passage. Document discharge rollers located at the downstream end of the document delivery passage move the document from that point to the document receiving tray. The document delivery rollers are driven at a higher speed than are the document discharge rollers.

Abstract: A sheetlike article conveying roller assembly comprises at least one rotary shaft, a plurality of rollers mounted on the rotary shafts at an optional positions, and a plurality of rings held on the rollers. The rollers on one of a pair of shafts are axially arranged in staggered position with those on the other shaft. The rings of the rollers on one of the pair of the rotary shaft and those on the rollers on the other rotary shaft overlap axially. A sheetlike article is conveyed by the rollers through a travelling path defined between the rotary shafts.

Abstract: A simple, low cost corrugation device for removing curl from sheets includes a compliant corrugator roll that is effective with light weight, low beam strength papers needing corrugation and passive with heavy weight, high beam stiffness papers not needing/not wanting corrugation. One type of corrugation roll is a cylindrical elastomeric roll made of a foam or sponge-like material. An alternative corrugator roll configuration is a hollow frustrum of a cone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for stacking cut sheets of printed media wherein the leading edge of sheets received from a printer or plotter are first passed vertically downward into a bin and then rotated through an angle away from the printer or plotter. The front side member of the bin has a convex, upwardly facing and smoothly contoured section thereof over which cut sheets are laid with a uniform weight distribution and then down into an adjacent sheet output collection tray. This method of sheet transport and stacking has the advantage of minimizing the crumpling and curling of the cut sheets during the sheet handling and accumulation process. In addition, this method rapidly and efficiently moves the cut sheets out of the way of upstream sheet feeding to thereby prevents paper jam and crushing of paper in the plotter or printer.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus wherein a photo-sensitive material and an image-receiving material are affixed to each other, an image recorded on the photo-sensitive material is transferred to the image-receiving layer, both materials are separated, and the photo-sensitive material is conveyed to a disposal tray is provided with a pair of rollers for forming a bead line along the direction of conveyance of the photo-sensitive material while the photo-sensitive material is being held and conveyed prior to reaching the disposal tray.Accordingly, the bead line is formed on the photo-sensitive material before it reaches the disposal tray, thereby increasing its rigidity in the direction of conveyance.

Abstract: This invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a convey path comprising lateral movement apparatus for controlling a widthwise position of a sheet member to be conveyed, wherein the lateral movement apparatus is curved in a convey direction.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting documents comprising a first plate member having a document engaging edge along a transport path, for engaging the document on one side thereof; a second plate member having a document engaging edge along the transport path, for engaging the document on the same side as does the first plate member edge; a first drive belt having a document engaging surface along the transport path, for engaging the document on the document's other side; and a second drive belt having a document engaging surface along the transport path, for engaging the document on the same side as does the first drive belt. The plate members and the belts are situated with the first plate member edge, the first belt surface, the second plate member edge and the second belt surface arranged in successive vertically spaced relation such that the belts urge the sheet against the plate member edges when the sheet is engaged by the belt surfaces and the plate member edges.

Abstract: An envelope processing system (20) includes an input transport section (22); a processing/transport section (24); and a discharge transport section (28). Envelopes are fed on-edge from the input transport section to the processing/transport section (24) by a feeder section (40) comprising a feeder (72) and a feed assist device (80). When a signal controller (190) monitoring the feeder (72) detects a significant delay between the feeding of envelopes, the feeder (72) is enabled to acquire greater contact with the next envelope by displacing the feed assist device (80) out of its normally biased co-planar position with a feed belt (130) of the feeder (72), resulting in a greater force vector on the next envelope in the direction toward a singulation region (73). A stacker section (38) comprising the discharge conveyance section (28) includes introductory conveying device (302), stacker conveying device (304), and a discharge magazine (300).

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the depositing of sheets at a stacking location. The apparatus has an overhead suspension arrangement 15 which is fed with blasted air and extends some way over the stacking location 2, 3. This overhead suspension arrangement 15 has an undulating profile, extending in conveying direction, which imposes on the conveyed sheet to be deposited an undulation improving its dimensional rigidity, so that it can no longer buckle or turn on striking the stop. To reduce the conveying speed of the sheets, the stacking location is preceded by an overlapping station 9, 10, which initiates the braking operation a great distance ahead of the stacking location 2, 3 and keeps the sheet at braked speed almost until the striking of the sheet against the stop 6 without the overlapping being hindered by this.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a mask original prepared by a monochrome laser printer and a photosensitive recording medium are brought into close contact with each other and in this state are subjected to exposure in an exposure unit. Thereafter, the photosensitive recording medium and a developer sheet are subjected to pressure-development and heat-fixing, and a color image is outputted onto the developer sheet. The image forming apparatus is provided with a recurler for remedying curl formed at the front edge of a mask original. Thus, the curl is remedied by the recurler, so the mask original can be positioned accurately in a positioning device.

Abstract: A signature handling apparatus includes a first conveyor which sequentially moves signatures to a discharge station. At the discharge station, the signatures are sequentially transferred to a receiving conveyor. A corrugator assembly is located at the discharge station to stiffen the signatures by forming corrugations which extend between leading and trailing end portions of the signatures. Although the corrugations are only temporarily maintained in the signature, the corrugator assembly is close enough to the receiving conveyor so that a corrugation is maintained in a signature as a leading end portion of the signature moves to the receiving conveyor. Thus, the corrugator assembly is spaced from the receiving conveyor by a distance which is less than the distance between the leading and trailing end portions of the signatures.

Abstract: A document transport module for moving a document along a bidirectional feed line from an upstream area to a downstream area in, for example, an automated teller machine. The document transport module comprises first and second generally planar supports, with the first generally planar support having a first cooperating member and a second cooperating member located thereon. The first and second cooperating members each have ends which have ramp portions secured thereto. In addition, the first and second cooperating members each have an arcuately shaped recess therein which faces a second support. A document can be moved between the first and second supports and guided into the arcuately shaped recessed portions of the first and second cooperating members by the ramp portions. The ramp portions guide the document between the arcuately shaped recessed portions and a drive roller mounted in the second support.

Abstract: Sheet stacking apparatus for a buffer tray of a reprographic machine comprises a belt feeder including, at the input end of the feeder, a baffle which imparts a curved configuration to sheets in a direction transverse to the direction of travel. The output end of the feeder is defined by an output roll which cooperates with the belt of the feeder and is movable with the adjustable end guide of the buffer tray so that, as the length of the tray is increased, the length of the sheet path through the feeder is decreased and vice versa. The curved sheet configuration is maintained as sheets are conveyed through the feeder by the belt and is then further maintained by a second baffle as sheets are fed out, by the output roll, over the buffer tray.

Abstract: According to the invention, a number of sheet materials P1 are successively delivered to and clamped between a plurality of clamp rollers 5. A servo motor 6 is operatively connected to the clamp rollers 5 to rotate the latter. A detector PH1 is disposed upstream of the clamp rollers 5 and detects the position of the sheet material P1. Further, a control device 9 is connected to the servo motor 6 and the detector PH1 to control the servo motor 6 to momentarily decrease its number of revolutions (R.P.M.) in response to the detection signal from the detector PH1 immediately before the sheet material P1 is completely discharged from the clamp rollers 5. The rotative speed of the clamp rollers 5 is therefore momentarily lowered so that the sheet material P1 is discharged at low speed. Accordingly, the sheet material P1 conveniently falls down onto a table 8 so that sheet materials P1 are regularly stacked on the table 8. No backling takes place in the leading end of the sheet material P1.

Abstract: A self-adaptive stacker comprising infeed and stacking sections whose movement is coordinated to provide interception of the signature stream. The infeed conveyor section "Vees" the incoming signature stream through the use of rollers of different diameters mounted upon straight, spaced, parallel shafts.

Abstract: An elongated arch forming member or bar supported upon a horizontal stacking station base by a movable support for permitting the stack to be lowered as the weight of the of sheets over the arch forming member increases. The arch forming member supports the sheets only at centralized portions thereof for permitting edge portions of the sheets to be pulled downwardly by gravity to form an arch, in the stack of sheets, transverse to the direction of feed of the sheets from a printer or source machine into a receptor station. The arch forming member is oriented parallel to opposite edges of the sheets and causes an angle of at least 15.degree. to be produced between the edge portions of the sheets and the horizontal plane of the base.

Abstract: A shingle stacking machine including a shingle stacking station, a shingle bundling station, and a conveyor for removing bundled shingles from the machine. The shingle stacking station includes a pair of parallel and elongated wheel assemblies rotatably mounted to a frame of the machine. A drive mechanism is provided for rotatably indexing each wheel assembly during a drive mode of operation and permits free wheeling of the wheel assemblies during a jam mode of operation. The drive mechanism includes a motor for continuously driving a vacuum operated clutch assembly. The clutch assembly includes a pair of electromagnetic valves for controlling operation of a drive shaft which is connected to the wheel assemblies through an elastomeric belt drive. The shingle bundling station is disposed beneath the shingle stacking station and includes a pair of shelf-like supports pivotally carried on the machine frame.

Abstract: There are disclosed method and apparatus for stacking the output ("documents" or "printed products") of a high speed printing press or bindery line. The documents are shingled on a linear infeed conveyor where they are also aligned, positioned, and counted, all at high speed. When the amount of documents desired for a stack have been counted or weighed or determined by stack size or height, further document flow is temporarily interrupted. The documents are speeded up in an accelerator to reduce the amount of shingling. They are ejected from the accelerator to glide through the air onto a stack starter surface which slowly descends as the stack is formed. The partially completed stack is transferred to a de-elevator and the stack starter returns to begin building a new stack. The de-elevator lowers the completed stack onto a receiving surface and rises to receive the next partially completed stack from the stack starter surface. A pusher then removes the stack from the receiving surface.

Abstract: A sheet collection mechanism includes three tray portions defining a slanted receiving surface. The surface extends from a lower stop against which sheets are stacked upward to a position below an egress for sheets and is long enough to stack long sheets without interference between the leading edge of an egressing sheet and the stack. To stack shorter sheets the downstream edges of two upper tray portions are selectively raiseable to cause the leading edge of a sheet to engage the stack downstream of the stacks' trailing edge. An auxiliary drive roller is positioned to cooperate with the downstream part of one of the upper trays when raised to assist in driving short sheets to the stop.

Abstract: A delivery fan includes a plurality of blades defining a fan pocket for receiving a signature. The plurality of blades includes two sets of blades. The blades of one set are axially equally spaced apart and define one side of the pocket. The blades of the other set are axially equally spaced apart and define the other side of the pocket. The blades of both sets of blades have surfaces for engaging opposite sides of the signature and for deforming the signature into undulations extending in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the signature. While the signature is being engaged and deformed, the frictional contact between the signature and the surfaces in the pocket slows down the signature. This minimizes buckling and/or bouncing of the signature in the pocket.

Abstract: A recorder comprises a recording device housing for housing a device for forming a record on record medium at a record position and a relatively movable stacker for stacking record media recorded by the recording device and having an open side for removing the stacked media. A convex ara on the bottom of the stacker extends othogonally to the length of the stacker at a position spaced from the lengthwise center of the stacker toward the open side.

Abstract: A scuffer wheel drives a copy sheet into a registration corner on a tray of a printing machine. The vibration and hop of the scuffer wheel is damped by having the periphery of the scuffer wheel engage a leaf spring mounted over a slot in a thin plate mounted on the tray. This prevents sheet migration and misalignment of the sheets of the stack with respect to one another.

Abstract: Each interfaced loader and metering hopper combination of a newspaper assembling system includes improvements for producing ridges in the newspapers at various stages where separation of the newspapers from one another is required. The ridges stiffen the newspaper and reduce the area of contact and thereby the friction between them. At the receiving region of the loader, an arrangement of parallel side and central conveyors, wherein the central one is at a higher level than the side conveyors, produces ridges when the newspapers in a stack are fanned back into a stream. A pair of superimposed center conveyors and inclined laterally located arms produce ridges in the newspapers as they are discharged one at a time from a discharge region of the loader into a receiving zone in the hopper.

Abstract: A sheet feeder has a supply station wherein signatures fresh from the printing press are stacked. The stack is supported such that the signatures are in an arched, non-planar configuration. A sheet stripper extracts signatures successively from the stack and feeds them in a constant stream to a transfer conveyor. The stripper grips the sheets with a suction device which applies a constant but locally intermittent vacuum. The transfer conveyor carries the signatures to a delivery station. The delivery station includes fingers which arch the signatures. Arching the signatures in the supply and delivery stations prevents rolling of the signatures.

Abstract: A stacking apparatus for a reproduction machine which can accommodate media sheets as greatly different sizes. An intermittent driving device is used so as to alterantely buckle and relax the sheet media thereby urging the sheet into various recesses which are formed in the apparatus so as to engage sheet media of various sizes.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a paper sheet stacking and jogging apparatus for the semi-continuous stacking and jogging of individually fed sheets of paper from devices such as printing or duplicating machinery. A conveyor, comprising a pair of powered forward pinch rollers and a pair of powered rearward pinch rollers each having a plurality of driving tires, conveys the sheets within the apparatus. A beam strengthener, comprising two pairs of crowned and recessed tires, which are not driving tires, give the sheets beam strength as they are deposited to prevent jamming of the apparatus. A high-capacity, self-leveling tray assembly and elevating elevator receives the deposited sheets. A jogger selectively jogs the sheets which are deposited into the tray assembly into physically separated, distinct, aligned job stacks.

Abstract: A sheet sorter is disclosed which is designed to permit the sorting of sheets of significantly-greater area than the sorter bin support surface, without the projecting area of sheet bending over the bin edge and potentially interfering with the introduction of new sheets into adjacent bins. Each bin surface is provided with wings to induce a curve into a sheet being fed and stored in a bin, so as to give the sheet sufficient beam strength for the projecting portions to remain aligned with the portion of sheet which is in the bin.

Abstract: A sorter for sorting copy sheets which are produced by a copying machine from an original document includes a plurality of trays which are vertically arranged in multiple stages at predetermined intervals and an indexer for selecting a tray from the plurality of trays to which an individual copy sheet is to be conveyed. The indexer includes a first roller which changes a direction of conveyance of the copy sheets, and the first roller curves the copy sheets upward so that ends of the upwardly curved copy sheets curve downwardly with respect to a bottom surface of the trays, thereby increasing the number of copy sheets which can be stacked in the trays and preventing the occurrence of paper jams.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking large copy sheets beneath a tabletop model whiteprint, blueprint or similar copying machine. A support structure spaces the copying machine above a subjacent support surface as a tabletop, floor or the like. A receptacle structure is disposed below and forwardly of the exit port of the machine for arresting the leading edges of the copy sheets as the sheets are discharged seriatim from the copying machine and for causing the sheets to bow rearwardly onto a stack in the stacking space beneath the machine. The apparatus can be provided in kit form for application to existing copying machines.

Abstract: Bundled signatures are placed on a first set of conveyor belts which move the signature bundle to a shingling station. A pair of side belts at the shingling station are spaced so that the signatures are individualy bowed forwardly upon encountering the belts so as to separate each signature from the other signatures of the bundle. A third set of conveyor belts move the bowed signatures upwardly in a shingled condition from a discharge site of the side belts.

Abstract: A device for stacking sheets, as from the outlet of a reprographic machine, uses a pair of belts having coplanar upper surfaces. The upper runs of the belts are stationary, and have a gap between them. To make the device work, the gap is displaced to one side of this stack and a sheet is fed into contact with that part of one belt which comes to lie below the stack, so that as the gap is translated across the bottom of the stack, the sheet is applied smoothly to the stack, displacing it upwardly.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting sheets of different lengths in a tray having first and second parts and wherein the second part of the tray consists of a first portion which adjoins the first part and from there extends downwardly to receive the trailing part of sheets of intermediate lengths, and a second portion which adjoins the bottom point of the first portion and from there extends upwardly in order to receive the trailing part of sheets of longer lengths than the intermediate lengths.

Abstract: Feeder apparatus for feeding sheet material sections successively into a receiving hopper from a bundle of stacked sheet material sections. The apparatus includes a receiving section for receiving such bundles and for advancing such bundles. The apparatus further includes a shingling section having a shingling conveyor for receiving such bundles and conveying such bundles along the shingling section, and having a shingling belt system to engage such bundles being conveyed by the shingling conveyor wherein the conveyor and belt system cooperate to shingle the sheet material sections from such bundles into shingled arrangements. The shingling conveyor and shingling belt system are arranged to engage such a shingled arrangement between them and advance such an arrangement in an engaged condition along the shingling section.

Abstract: A compact sheet stacker or sorter for a xerographic or other copier has respectively one or more upright sheet-receiving bins which are fed from below by a guide assembly which, in the case of a sorter, can be indexed from bin to bin but, in the case of a stacker is fixed. With this arrangement sheets are collected inproperly collated (1-N) order without using an active sheet inverter or conventional inverting paper path, thereby saving space. Bin plates defining the bins are shaped so as to hold sheets in a curved configuration transverse to the direction of sheet feed. The curvature imparts beam strength to the sheets enabling them to stand on edge even when the sheets extend above the tops of the bins. A stacker or sorter with relatively short bins can therefore handle a variety of sheet sizes without adjustment.

Abstract: There is disclosed a simplified sheet feeding system for a recording apparatus such as copier. A sheet is pinched between ribs projecting on a sheet guiding face and driven feed rollers which are movable in position and partly overlap with the projecting ribs when the sheet is absent.

Abstract: A sheet feeder having a slip preventing mechanism having a deformable member whose tip projects from a drive discharge roller by a short length and bends in contact with a sheet to be discharged in a small area, when the sheet is located between the drive discharge roller and the driven discharge roller. The deformable member transfers the sheets forcibly with biting them. As one of the drive roller and the driven roller which contacts the printed face of the sheet is made of a material which is hard to be stained by ink when contacted to the printed sheet, neither stain nor slip incur. Alternatively, the surface of one of the discharge rollers may be made rough.

Abstract: An apparatus in which a sheet is registered during the movement thereof. The sheet is moved along a path in a forward direction of movement and a lateral direction of movement substantially normal thereto. The lateral movement of the sheet causes the side edge of the sheet to engage a registration edge so as to be aligned thereat. The magnitude of the moving force applied on the sheet is proportional to the thickness of the sheet. In this way, the moving force varies as a function of the thickness of the sheet with the sheet slipping laterally when engaging the registration edge to prevent buckling thereof.

Abstract: A handling apparatus for guiding paper money or other strip-like media into a storage area or cashbox includes a drive mechanism for driving the central longitudinal area of a strip-like element to follow a first curved path, and an opposing guide for simultaneously urging the outer longitudinal areas of the bill in directions transverse to the first path so that they follow curved paths which are different to the first path. This tends to pull or stretch the element simultaneously both along its central axis and transverse to that axis, which will tend to remove any previous deformation applied to the element prior to stacking. A guide surface guides the bill from the drive mechanism into the storage area, and is preferably movable when a bill is detected projecting out of the storage area to urge the bill into the storage area and to compress the stack of bills.

Abstract: A novel ink-jet printer (10) is provided. The printer provides both paper supply tray (12) and paper collection tray (18) in the front (14) of the printer for ease of paper handling and reduced footprint. The paper collection tray is provided with a pair of opposed output rails (22) which support a sheet of paper (16c) during printing to permit ink on a sheet of paper (16b) previously printed to dry.A paper handling mechanism is provided which eliminates a sheet pickup motor and associated elements. The paper handling mechanism is configured to pick off a sheet of paper from a stack of input paper, bring it around paper drive rollers (24) onto a platen (26), where the printing operation, employing a printhead cartridge (32) occurs.The resulting printer is easy to manufacture, has reduced complexity by eliminating components in the paper drive mechanism and is lower in cost.

Abstract: A card ejecting apparatus for a thermal printer includes a rotatable drum having a clamp which holds a card when the drum is rotated in a first printing direction and releases the card when the drum is rotated in the opposite ejecting direction, a spring having a hooked free end, a transport mechanism which receives a card as it is being ejected from the drum and drives it into the hooked free end of the spring to cock such spring, and such cocked spring propelling such card onto a stack of cards.

Abstract: An apparatus in which a sheet is registered during the movement thereof. The sheet is moved along a path in a forward direction of movement and a lateral direction of movement substantially normal thereto. The lateral movement of the sheet causes the side edge of the sheet to engage a registration edge so as to be aligned thereat. The magnitude of the moving force applied on the sheet is proportional to the thickness of the sheet. In this way, the moving force varies as a function of the thickness of the sheet with the sheet slipping laterally when engaging the registration edge to prevent buckling thereof.