Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for feeding a print media through a closed, curved path such that any abrasion of any special coating on the printing surface of the media is prevented. A motor driven pulley subsystem bridging the entrance and exit of the path is selectively adjustable to change the positioning and shape of the media as it passes therethrough.

Abstract: An apparatus for replacing a photosensitive belt of a printer, and a method of communicating belt-related information between a belt cartridge and the printer, are disclosed. The apparatus includes a belt cartridge adapted to receive a photosensitive belt so that the photosensitive belt can be installed at a belt unit of the printer, a first antenna installed on the belt cartridge, a second antenna installed on the printer and connected to a controller which controls the printer, and a component identifying module installed on the belt cartridge and connected to the first antenna so that the component-identifying module can transmit the information recorded therein to the second antenna connected to the controller the, and record information received from the controller via the second antenna.

Abstract: A printer comprises a loader (2) for supports (1) to be printed, a printing device (9) and transfer elements delimiting a series of gripping regions (8) forming a transport path (8A) to lead sequentially the printed supports (1) from the outlet (5) of the loader (2) to the printing device (9) and from the printing device (9) toward collection elements disposed below the loader (2). At least the portion of a wall (7) with an opening (4) of the loader (2) is inclined at a positive angle relative to the transport path (8A) to give to the support (1) to be printed an inclination in the inlet direction of a first gripping region (8) of the transport path (8A). The inlet is provided with a deflector (11).

Abstract: A paper pickup apparatus in a printer for pivotally moving by a motor includes a driving shaft rotated by the motor, a first pickup housing having at least one first transmission gear and first and second end portions, the first end portion mounted to the driving shaft, the first transmission gear transmitting torque from the driving shaft, a second pickup housing having at least one second transmission gear and being rotatably mounted to the second end portion of the first pickup housing, the second transmission gear transmitting torque from the first pickup housing, a connecting portion for connecting the first and second pickup housing with each other, the first pickup housing being rotatable to the second pickup housing centering thereon, and a pickup roller mounted to the second pickup housing and rotated by torque from the second transmission gear.

Abstract: A paper discharging apparatus for a printer includes: a plurality of support plates for supporting the paper and rotating in a direction parallel to a paper proceeding direction; a rotation shaft of a feed roller arranged in a direction perpendicular to the paper proceeding direction, and to which a feed roller contacting the paper is coupled; a power transfer portion having a sector gear installed on the rotation shaft so that the sector gear doe not rotate when the rotation shaft rotates in a forward direction, and the sector gear does rotate when the rotation shaft rotates in a reverse direction; a crank rod having one end connected to the sector gear, and reciprocating when the sector gear rotates; and a cam shaft connected to the crank rod and rotating in correspondence to the reciprocation of the crank rod.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus typically comprises a first housing provided with a feeding tray for containing recording mediums before recording by a recording section, a second housing provided with an outlet tray for storing the recording mediums carried from the first housing, and a coupling and carrying device for coupling the first housing and the second housing in such a manner as to be able to displace them relatively. This coupling and carrying device forms a flexible carrier path to guide each recording medium carried from the first housing to the second housing. With the structure thus arranged, this recording apparatus can achieve significant space saving when installed.

Abstract: A printer having an interference-free receiver sheet feed path and method of assembling the printer. The printer, which is a thermal dye printer, comprises a print head for forming an image on a movable receiver sheet belonging to a stack of receiver sheets having a front edge portion. The stack of receiver sheets reside in a receiver sheet supply tray. A roller feeds the top-most receiver sheet along a receiver sheet feed path, leading edge first, from the supply tray and to the print head for printing by means of thermal activation of a first one of a plurality of dye donor patches belonging to a dye donor ribbon. After the first dye donor patch prints, the receiver sheet returns, trailing edge first, to the supply tray before printing by the next dye donor patch.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for an image forming apparatus comprises a carriage with which an ink-cartridge is mounted and which is reciprocated to print an image includes: a printing stroke section in which the carriage is reciprocated to print an image; a feeding stroke section which is extended to one side of the printing stroke section and into which the carriage is moved whenever it is necessary to feed a new sheet; a feeding power converting unit which is disposed in a passage of the carriage in the feeding stroke section and is rotated by being in contact with the carriage; a crankshaft which is rotated in forward and reverse rotational directions corresponding to the rotational directions of the feeding power converting unit; a paper loader one end which is rotatably disposed with respect to a hinge shaft which is apart from and faced with the crankshaft, and having another end which is a free end; and a sheet feeding unit which is provided in at least two parts of the crankshaft and which raises the fr

Abstract: A recording medium according to the present invention includes: a recording-medium supply mechanism; a single-sheet supply mechanism for supplying a recording medium S one sheet by another from a hold device to a conveyance path; and an overlap supply mechanism for supplying a desired number of sheets of a recording medium from the hold device in an overlapped state to the conveyance path. If there is one sheet or more of consecutive blank pages included in a recording medium to be supplied to the conveyance path, the recording apparatus overlaps and supplies a recording medium as many sheets as a value obtained by adding one to a number of the blank pages, to record recording data of a page immediately preceding or following the blank page.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for feeding a print media through a closed, curved path such that any abrasion of any special coating on the printing surface of the media is prevented. A motor driven pulley subsystem bridging the entrance and exit of the path is selectively adjustable to change the positioning and shape of the media as it passes therethrough.

Abstract: A discharging unit has multiple discharging rollers for transporting sheets downstream from a recording head in the direction of transporting, arrayed in the direction of transporting. Of the multiple discharging rollers, a second discharging roller at the farthest-downstream disposed farthest downstream in the sheet transporting direction is formed with higher precision than a first discharging roller disposed further upstream.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus including a feeding roller for separating and feeding a sheet, a conveying roller for conveying the sheet, a drive motor directly connected to the conveying roller and capable of being rotated forwardly and reversely, a drive intermittent device for selectively transmitting a driving force from the drive motor to the feeding roller, and a drive switching device for rotating the feeding roller in a conveying direction regardless of a rotational direction of the drive motor, and wherein, in the drive switching device, a spring clutch is used as a one-way clutch for effecting drive transmitting when the drive motor rotates the conveying roller in the conveying direction as forwardly rotation and a clutch of pendulum type is used as a one-way clutch for effecting the drive transmission when the drive motor rotates the conveying roller in a direction opposite to the conveying direction as reverse rotation, and the number of gears is differentiated between the forward rotation and the reve

Abstract: In a drive transmitting apparatus for selectively transmitting a driving force from a drive source to a driving member through clutch means to achieve a positive switching operation, the clutch means includes an output gear having a non-entirely toothed portion not including a predetermined number of teeth in a tooth width-wise direction and an entirely toothed portion having no non-toothed portion, a gear opposed to the non-toothed portion of the output gear and rotated by a driving force, a trigger gear meshed with the entirely toothed portion of the output gear and freely rotatable with respect to a shaft and movable in a thrust direction, and ratchet portions formed on opposed side surfaces of the gear and the trigger gear so that, when the trigger gear is slid in the thrust direction to engage the ratchet portions by each other, a driving force is transmitted from the gear to the output gear.

Abstract: A paper pickup apparatus in a printer for pivotally moving by a motor includes a driving shaft rotated by the motor, a first pickup housing having at least one first transmission gear and first and second end portions, the first end portion mounted to the driving shaft, the first transmission gear transmitting torque from the driving shaft, a second pickup housing having at least one second transmission gear and being rotatably mounted to the second end portion of the first pickup housing, the second transmission gear transmitting torque from the first pickup housing, a connecting portion for connecting the first and second pickup housing with each other, the first pickup housing being rotatable to the second pickup housing centering thereon, and a pickup roller mounted to the second pickup housing and rotated by torque from the second transmission gear.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including a sheet supply device having a detachable sheet supply roller for feeding stacked sheets, an image forming device having a process cartridge for forming an image on the sheet fed by the sheet supply device, a cartridge containing portion for detachably containing the process cartridge within a body of the image forming apparatus, and a sheet discharge device for discharging and stacking the sheets on which the images were formed by the image forming device. The sheet supply roller and the process cartridge are disposed adjacent to each other, and, after the process cartridge is disengaged from the cartridge containing portion, the sheet supply roller is mounted and dismounted through the cartridge containing portion.

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in a low-profile and narrow-width printer that has two rollers, a pick roller and a feed roller, and two roller motors. Each one of the two roller motors is used to drive one of the two rollers. As a result, a short gear train can be used to allow a longer paper path for enabling a low height printer. Also, a print media can be picked up from the input tray while another print media is being printed upon by an ink jet printhead or printhead. Thus, throughput of the printer can be enhanced when the printer is printing a multi-page document. Further, the printer straightens out print media that are skewed when picked up by the pick roller. Finally, the printer is able to locate a paper jam by using two sensors, one by the pick roller and the other by the feed roller.

Abstract: A belt drive for a machine for printing images on a flat printing material, having a continuous belt revolving during operation, includes a belt guide having stops for two protruding edges of the belt, the edges being oriented in a longitudinal direction of the belt and opposite one another in a transverse direction of the belt; and a machine for printing images on flat printing material having such a belt drive.

Abstract: According to the sheet carrying device of the present invention, the controlling unit changes the driving power of the fan driving source, depending on characteristics of the sheet. Therefore, appropriate sucking power can be caused to act, depending on the sort of the carried sheet.

Abstract: A printer having a paper handling mechanism that includes a paper feed roller pair located upstream of a recording head. The paper feed roller pair includes a roller having a roller axis and a follow-up roller having a follow-up roller axis. A line between the roller axis and the follow-up axis is inclined towards the recording head. A paper discharge roller pair located downstream. The paper discharge roller pair includes a discharge roller having a discharge roller axis and a discharge follow-up rolling having discharge follow-up roller axis. A line between the discharge roller axis and the discharge follow-up roller axis is inclined towards the recording head.

Abstract: A transmission for transmitting power from a printing device drive to drive a media pick roller to pick individual sheets of print media from a supply tray through the printing device without the necessity of requiring a separate pick roller motor and controls. The transmission uses a sun gear and a planet gear with a cam track and follower to move the planet gear into and out of driving relationship with the pick roller.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for switching a pickup roller of an inkjet printer to eliminate an unnecessary load due to maintenance of a contact state between the pickup roller and a knockup plate. The device maintains the contact state between the pickup roller and the knockup plate during a paper feed operation by mounting a rotatable cam device on the paper feeder part. The cam separates the pickup roller from the knockup plate according to the rotational direction of the line feed motor 24 as the driving system of the paper feeder part. After the feed operation has ended, the cam separates the pickup roller from the knockup plate and, as a result, an unnecessary load after the paper feed has ended is eliminated. A uniform quality for the line feed can be gained by feeding the paper without an excessive load at the beginning, and accordingly loss of printing quality (white line, etc.) is prevented.

Abstract: An envelope leveler for use with a printer feeder to orient a top envelope of a stack of envelopes to be fed into a printer attached to the printer feeder. The envelope leveler including: a platform upon which the envelope stack is disposed; a base; and a pivot for rotating the platform and the envelope stack thereupon about the base such that the top envelope of the envelope stack is oriented for proper feeding into the printer. Also provided is a printer having the envelope leveler. The printer comprising: a printer feeder having a surface for supporting the stack of envelopes; a feeder for feeding the top envelope into the printer; and an envelope leveler comprising a platform upon which the envelope stack is disposed, a base, and a pivot means for rotating the platform and the envelope stack thereupon about the base such that the top envelope of the envelope stack is oriented for proper feeding into the printer.

Abstract: An image recording device having a detachable web roll cassette in which a rolled web sheet is accommodated. The device includes a frame body having a web roll cassette insertion port, a web roll cassette accommodating portion, and a web sheet passage extending from the web roll cassette accommodating portion in a sheet feeding direction. The device also includes a sheet feeding unit including a drive roller and a pinch roller for nipping the web sheet therebetween, and a print head for printing the image on the web sheet fed by the sheet feed unit. A pivot mechanism is provided to move the front end discharge portion of the web roll cassette toward an operating position. The pivot mechanism is also provided with the drive roller for moving the drive roller toward the sheet nipping position when the front end discharge portion is moved to the operating position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a print media supply with a pair of opposite sides and a bottom for supporting a plurality of print media sheets. A paper feed assembly defines a media path through which the print media sheets travel. A sheet picker assembly includes a sheet picker positioned adjacent to one of the sides of the print media supply. The sheet picker is configured to move a picked sheet in a pick direction substantially parallel to the bottom from the print media supply into the print media path. A separator dam is positioned between the print media supply and the paper feed assembly. The separator dam includes a wall positioned at a transverse angle relative to the bottom. The separator dam includes at least one resistive strip or abutments on the wall. The resistive strip or abutment is positioned adjacent the side which is opposite the one side. The resistive strip or abutment has a resistance to paper movement which is greater than the first coefficient of friction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for feeding a recordable paper in an ink jet printer. The device according to the present invention is designed such that a recordable paper stacking plate is upward shifted by a reciprocal movement of a carriage to be positioned at a paper feeding position at an initial printing so that a recordable paper is in close contact with a feed roller. Thus, the recordable paper is picked up by a rotation of the feed roller and moved to a base frame. As a result, it is possible to save a time for feeding the recordable paper and printing data on the recordable paper. Further, there is advantage in that a time for picking up the recordable paper can be reduced by using a CR motor having a large torque.

Abstract: In a printer for facsimile machines or the like, a forward end of paper to be fed is temporarily fixed between a platen roller and a print head before printing by the print head is started. A paper feed roller is then rotated so that an inclination of the paper is corrected. Guides are provided so that the paper is fed in a direction of a tangential line of the platen roller at a holding point between the platen roller and the print head.

Abstract: When performing printing by the ink jet head 13, the control unit 78 controls the step motor 75 to rotate counterclockwise by the first number of steps corresponding to the paper feeding quantity of one-line and, after the paper feeding of one-line, to rotate clockwise by the second number of steps smaller than the first number of steps to thereby rotate the paper supply roller 70 clockwise through the middle gear 74 and the driven gear 73, during which the back-tension generated in the paper sheet S is removed. Accordingly, a constant paper feeding quantity can be maintained without regard to the back-tension, providing a stable paper feeding accuracy. Since the back-tension has been removed from the paper sheet S whenever characters and the like are printed on the paper sheet S, in combination of the stable paper feeding accuracy, high printing quality can be obtained without the occurrence of white lines in the printed characters.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a sheet support, on which sheets of paper can be stacked with their front ends aligned on the bottom surface of the support. The feeder also includes two feed rollers for feeding one by one the sheets stacked on the support. An inclined surface extends downstream in the feeding direction from the front end of the bottom surface of the support, and inclines downstream with respect to the bottom surface. The rollers are positioned out of symmetry with respect to the width of the bottom surface. A side end portion of the inclined surface which is far from the rollers is less resistant to sheets of paper than the portions of this surface which face the rollers. Even a wide sheet can be fed without inclining with respect to the feeding direction.

Abstract: A printing medium winding apparatus includes a drum on a periphery of which a leading-end holding device and a trailing-end engaging groove are provided. The holding device and engaging groove hold and engage with a leading end and trailing end of a printing paper sheet, respectively, when the paper sheet is fed to the drum. The apparatus further includes a paper sheet lifting device which presses the sheet on the periphery of the drum to keep the sheet in close contact with the periphery, and lifts a part of the sheet from the periphery to be curved and projected radially outwardly until the trailing end of the sheet reaches the engaging groove so that the trailing end can be inserted into the engaging groove.

Abstract: A paper feeding unit for a printing apparatus including conveyance and friction rollers conveying paper from a paper cassette to an image-transfer zone, the paper being urged against a frame, having a surface substantially parallel with the image-transferring zone, with one end of a spring mounted on the end of a cantilevered paper guide.

Abstract: A combination printer and scanner comprises a frame and a plurality of rollers mounted in the frame that define a single paper path through the frame. The combination printer and scanner further comprises an automatic sheet feeder and an automatic document feeder mounted to the frame for selectively providing clean paper print sheets and documents having text and/or graphics to be scanned, respectively, to the single paper path. A scanner station is mounted in the frame for scanning documents conveyed through the single paper path. A printer station is mounted in the frame for printing text and/or graphics on print sheets conveyed through the single paper path. A pen door is hingedly connected to the frame for opening and closing a region along the single paper path to allow access to the scanner station to permit the cleaning of a scanner window thereof.

Abstract: A method of compensating for a paper feed error through automatically reperforming operations to pick up printing paper when the paper feed error occurs includes the steps of: (a) driving a pickup roller, picking up printing paper stacked in a paper cassette, and then, feeding the picked up printing paper to an image forming unit; (b) after picking up the printing paper in step (a), checking to determine whether or not the printing paper has been fed to the image forming unit; and, (c) when it has been determined in step (b) that the printing paper has not been fed and a paper feed error has been generated, again driving the pickup roller, so as to attempt to pick up the printing paper stacked in the paper cassette again.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to prevent a sheet of continuous-form paper from slackening when it is fed back in a printer capable of feeding both sheets of continuous-form paper and cut-form paper.

Abstract: A paper feed device for a recording apparatus includes means for containing a plurality of sheets therein, supply means for feeding the sheets from the containing means, conveyor means for feeding the sheets fed by the supply means in the paper feeding direction and in the opposite direction so as to pass through a recording station, a reversible motor for commonly driving the supply means and the conveyor means, means for driving the conveyor means in the paper feeding direction by forward rotation of the motor, driving the conveyor means in the opposite direction by reverse rotation of the motor and driving the supply means, and means for selectively inhibiting the operation of the supply means during the reverse rotation of the motor.

Abstract: A combination printer and scanner comprises a frame, rollers mounted in the frame for defining a single paper path therethrough, an automatic sheet feeder mounted to the frame for selectively providing to the single paper path clean paper print sheets, and an automatic document feeder mounted to the frame for selectively providing to the single paper path documents having text and/or graphics printed thereon to be scanned. The combination printer and scanner further comprises a scanner station mounted in the frame for scanning documents conveyed through the single paper path and a printer station mounted in the frame for printing text and/or graphics on print sheets conveyed through the single paper path. A document feeder cartridge is normally positioned adjacent a scanner window of the scanner station to partially define a segment of the single paper path adjacent the scanner station.

Abstract: The present invention provides an automatic sheet feeding apparatus to be freely fixed and unfixed to the recording apparatus having sheet feeding cassette which stores the recording sheet is rotatably fitted in the posture from roughly perpendicular to inclined as against the sheet feed driving unit, and a space to insert the recording sheet is formed when the said sheet feeding cassette is in roughly perpendicular position and the recording sheet is separately fed to the recording apparatus when the said sheet feeding cassette is in inclined position.

Abstract: An ink jet printer having a pair of supporting portion for supporting from below both side portions of a sheet to be discharged after characters are printed on the surface of a sheet. At least one of the pair of supporting portion includes a roller, which may be either a driving roller, which conveys discharging sheets from the sheet discharge section, or a driven roller, which rotates upon contacting a discharging sheet to convey the sheet from the sheet discharge section. As a consequence, the sheet is discharged smoothly, without reducing sheet feeding accuracy even when stiff sheets are printed upon by the printer.

Abstract: A paper feed device that uses a separating pawl for preventing overlapped feeding of sheets of recording paper wherein the separating pawl does not resist the feed of paper, thereby ensuring smooth paper feed. In the paper feed device, a sheet of paper is fed from a hopper and moved along a separating tilt plane to be separated from the stacked paper by the separating pawl which is pressed toward the paper path by a spring. Each separate sheet of paper is fed between a paper guide plane and an arm section to a print head by a feed roller and a follower roller. When a paper supply roller is in a stopped state, the sheet of recording paper is pulled by the feed roller to be straightened between a collar member and the paper guide plane such that the sheet of paper is away from the separating pawl and therefore is not affected by the resistance of the separating pawl, ensuring a smooth feed.

Abstract: An automatic sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting device for supporting a sheet; an auxiliary roller for feeding a sheet supported on the sheet supporting device; a separating device, having a separation roller and a friction separation device, for feeding one-by-one the sheet; a feeder for feeding the sheet separated by the separating means; auxiliary roller moving device for moving the auxiliary roller between an operative position where the auxiliary roller is in contact with the sheet and an inoperative position where it is away therefrom; a separation roller moving device for moving the separation roller between an operative position where the separation roller is in contact with the friction separating device and an inoperative position where the separation roller is away therefrom; wherein the auxiliary roller moving device and the separation roller moving device move the auxiliary roller and the separation roller from their operative positions to inoperative positions after the feeder s

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sheet supplying apparatus for selecting and supplying a sheet from a plurality of sheet supply portions. Each of the sheet supply portion comprises a sheet supporting means for supporting the sheets, a rotatable sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet supported by the sheet supporting means, a drive source for driving the rotatable sheet supply means, a drive transmitting means for transmitting or not transmitting a driving force of the drive source to the rotatable sheet supply means, and a control means for controlling the transmission and non-transmission of the drive transmitting means.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus comprising a sheet supporting means for supporting a sheet, a rotatable sheet supply means for feeding out the sheet supported by the sheet supporting means and a skew-feed correction means for correcting a skew-feed of the sheet by rotating the sheet in a plane including a surface of the sheet while the sheet is being fed by the rotatable sheet supply means.

Abstract: A printer is provided with a hopper dimensioned to retain a plurality of sheets thereon and a sheet feed roller for feeding an uppermost sheet out of the plurality of sheets maintained on the hopper. Further, a separation pawl is located at a corner portion of the plurality of sheets held on the hopper for separating an uppermost sheet from a next sheet if the sheets to be printed upon are relatively thin. A wall surface is located downstream in a sheet feed direction with respect to the plurality of sheets maintained on the hopper is also provided for separating an uppermost sheet from a next sheet if the sheets to be printed upon are relatively thick. A selecting mechanism for selecting either a separating operation utilizing the separation pawl or a separating operation utilizing the wall surfaces also provided on the printer.

Abstract: A printer is provided having a guide shaft positioned substantially parallel with a printing surface. A print head of the printer is supported by the guide shaft, which is in turn supported by at least a first frame. The first frame is formed with an interior wall forming a through hole in the frame. A bearing member is fitted within the through hole. Upon rotation of the bearing member, the guide shaft is moved in a direction orthogonal to the printing surface.

Abstract: A sheet supplying apparatus comprises sheet supporting means for supporting a sheet, rotary supply means for feeding out the sheet, rotary convey means for conveying the sheet by a predetermined amount and then for effecting the registration of the sheet by a reverse rotation, drive means for driving the rotary convey means in a normal direction and a reverse direction, a switching output gear connected to the drive means so that a driving force from the drive means is transmitted to the switching output gear, and switching means for engaging the switching output gear with an input gear connected to the rotary supply means to transmit a rotational driving force of the rotary convey means to the rotary supply means, and for disengaging the switching output gear from the input gear.

Abstract: A roller comprises a rotary shaft, an outer peripheral wall member for defining an outer peripheral surface to be contacted with a sheet, and a support member for supporting the outer peripheral wall member so that the outer peripheral wall member surrounds the rotary shaft. The support member defines a space between the rotary shaft and the outer peripheral wall member and supports the outer peripheral wall member with maintaining a condition that the outer peripheral wall member is deformed to swell radially outwardly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for advancing a sheet of print media through a printer mechanism having a print zone. The apparatus includes a roller assembly for advancing a sheet of media through the print zone, a printing assembly for recording information on a surface of the sheet of media and an assembly for receiving the sheet of media once information has been recorded on the sheet of media. The apparatus includes a kicker which is movable in the forward direction to engage an edge of the sheet of media to urge the sheet in a forwardly direction from the print zone to the receiving assembly. The method of this invention includes the step of pushing the edge of the sheet of media towards the receiving assembly.

Abstract: An automatic paper feeder of a document input device includes a pick roller 20, separator pads 68 that come into contact with the pick roller 20, a first pair of pick springs 58, and a second pick spring 60. The first pick springs 58 are disposed on the upstream side of the second pick spring 60 in the direction of conveying the paper. The first pick springs 58 are disposed on the regions on both outer sides of the width of the separator pads 68 in the axial direction of the roller, and the second pick spring 60 is disposed at a central position in the width of the separator pad 68. The first and second pick springs 58 and 60 are integrally formed as a spring unit using a single metal plate, and a force of contact of the first pick springs 58 upon the pick roller 20 on the upstream side is smaller than a force of contact of the second pick spring 60 upon the pick roller 20 on the downstream side. The separator pad 68 is formed by branching a web 70 of a rubber sheet into fork-like pad units.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a roll of recording paper, a roll conveying roller for feeding a roll of recording paper, and a sheet conveying roller for feeding sheets of recording paper. Power from a DC motor is transmitted to both rollers through a switching mechanism. The switching mechanism includes a system gear, a planetary gear, and a planetary gear arm, and a locking member for fixing the planetary gear arm at a prescribed position. A head release cam, a head release pulley, and a timing belt cooperate with the switching mechanism to remove pressure from a print recording head to prevent damage to the head during switching. Accordingly, a roll of recording paper and sheets of recording paper can be selected and used as needed without increasing the manufacturing cost and size of the apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a paper feed mechanism in a recording apparatus which paper feed mechanism permits the reduction in size of the entire apparatus. The paper feed mechanism comprises a main roller 3 which is rotated in both forward and reverse directions for conveying sheets of paper P from a paper receptacle portion to a recording portion, a paper separating and feeding member 20 which comes into pressure contact with the main roller 3 to separate and feed the sheets of paper P accommodated in the paper receptacle portion, and a stop member 30 which comes into pressure contact with the main roller 3 on a downstream side with respect to the paper separating and feeding member 20 in the paper conveyance direction to forcibly stop the feed of the sheets P being fed continuously. By the paper feed mechanism of such a construction, the plural sheets of paper stacked in the paper receptacle portion are separated one by one and fed to the recording portion.

Abstract: A paper feed device for a recording apparatus includes means for containing a plurality of sheets therein, supply means for feeding the sheets from the containing means, conveyor means for feeding the sheets fed by the supply means in the paper feeding direction and in the opposite direction so as to pass through a recording station, a reversible motor for commonly driving the supply means and the conveyor means, means for driving the conveyor means in the paper feeding direction by forward rotation of the motor, driving the conveyor means in the opposite direction by reverse rotation of the motor and driving the supply means, and means for selectively inhibiting the operation of the supply means during the reverse rotation of the motor.