Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm William A. Henry, II
  • Sheet collection devices and sheet processors utilizing same
    Patent number: 4824091
    Abstract: A sheet collection device having a stack support surface and a registration stop for aligning the edges of the sheets being stacked on the support surface so as to engage the trail ends of sheets as they are received on the support surface. The brushes are driven so that the bristles thereof wipe downwardly against the sheet trail ends. The brushes may alternatively be incorporated at the exit of a sheet processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Margaret A. Knight
  • Sheet transport
    Patent number: 4807868
    Abstract: A sheet transport includes one or more drive nips and a mechanism for automatically disengaging the nips in response to a predetermined condition such as the sensing of a jammed or stalled sheet, the movement of a sheet delivery tray between a sheet feeding position and a retracted position or the opening of an access door to the sheet transport. In a preferred form, one element of each drive nip is moved from the other element on a pivoted mounting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jan Hirst, John R. Strutt
  • Sheet stackers
    Patent number: 4807866
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Denis J. Stemmle
  • High speed duplicator with copy sheet prepackaged shipping and loading carton
    Patent number: 4802586
    Abstract: A disposable carton is disclosed which is adapted to hold a stack of copy sheets equivalent to a plurality of reams for a printing machine. The carton is constructed of portions which are sequentially removed to expose the stack and permit the operator to carry the stack to a sheet supply platform without disrupting the stack. A remaining portion of the carton which serves to permit the operator to place the stack upon the platform is adapted to be slideably removed from under the stack thus effecting the loading of the stack in the printing machine preparatory to the sheet feed operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Clifford L. George
  • Resilient intermediate transfer member and apparatus for liquid ink development
    Patent number: 4796048
    Abstract: An apparatus in which a plurality of liquid images are transferred from a photoconductive member to a copy sheet. The liquid images, which include a liquid carrier having toner particles dispersed therein, are attached from the photoconductive member to an intermediate belt by a biased transfer roll. At the same time, the biased transfer roll squeegees the liquid carrier from the intermediate belt and the toner particles are compacted thereon in image configuration. Thereafter, the toner particles are transferred from the intermediate belt to the copy sheet in image configuration with the use of another biased transfer roll. A vacuum source and an infrared heater is employed to remove residual solvent from the intermediate member left after photoconductor to intermediate member transfer takes place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Lloyd F. Bean
  • Release agent management system for a heated fuser roll
    Patent number: 4791959
    Abstract: A release agent management system that assures oil delivery to a metering roll in a fuser apparatus regardless of machine tilt includes at least two race portions that direct oil to a sump depending on whether the machine is tilted more or less than an angle 0 to thereby compensate for machine tilt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: William M. Schwarz, Jr.
  • Sheet stacking apparatus with trail edge control flaps
    Patent number: 4789150
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus for use with throughput from high speed copiers or printers includes dual independently acting control flaps that provide positive control of sheets being stacked in the apparatus by controlling the trail edges as well as the entire sheets as they are fed into a catch tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Margaret C. Plain
  • Sheet collector
    Patent number: 4781371
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Denis J. Stemmle
  • Touchdown development apparatus
    Patent number: 4777904
    Abstract: A touchdown development system includes a donor roll positioned closely adjacent a photosensitive member in order to develop an image on the surface of the photosensitive member. A reverse mounted doctor blade is employed in the system along with a toner pump in order to apply a smooth and uniform layer of toner onto the surface of the donor roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert W. Gundlach, Richard F. Bergen, Frank T. Lippolis, William H. Wayman
  • Apparatus and method for double sheet separation by vacuum ports
    Patent number: 4772008
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating doublets includes a device in which opposed surfaces that are connected to a vacuum source have a rippled portion in which vacuum slots are positioned at the apex of the ripples. There is a gradual transition in the surface of the slots from a planar portion to a rippled portion and back to a planar portion. The two surfaces are spaced a predetermined distance from each other such that when a double sheet of paper is driven through the rippled area, both the upper sheet and the lower sheet can tack to the upper and lower slots without having to jump across a gap. Subsequently, as the two sheets move into the area of the surfaces where there are no ripples, a strong separating force is generated as each sheet remains attached to the respective vacuum slots since the upper and lower slots are not in the same plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Paul R. Spencer, Anthony C. Palumbo, Jr.
  • High speed duplicator with copy sheet prepackaged shipping and loading carton
    Patent number: 4770301
    Abstract: A disposable carton is disclosed which is adapted to hold a supply of copy sheets equivalent to a plurality of reams for a printing machine. The carton is constructed of two main portions which is removed to expose the stack and permit the operator to carry the stack to a sheet supply platform without disrupting the stack. The remaining portion of the carton which serves to permit the operator to place the stack upon the platform is adapted to be slideably removed from under the stack thus effecting the loading of the stack in the printing machine preparatory to the sheet feed operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Richard H. Nagel
  • Low cost rear air knife top vacuum corrugation feeder
    Patent number: 4768769
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus with a sheet support tray, a rear vacuum plenum chamber adapted to acquire the rear portion of a sheet, a front vacuum plenum chamber positioned over the front of the sheet and adapted to acquire the front portion of a sheet, a sheet transport associated with the front vacuum plenum to transport a sheet acquired in a forward direction and an air knife positioned at the rear of the stack of sheets to inject air between the trailing edge of the top sheet in a stack and the remainder of the stack. The trail edge of a sheet in a stack is separated by the air knife, acquired by the rear vacuum plenum then acquired by the front vacuum plenum and transported in a forward direction. As the trailing edge clears the rear vacuum, the rear vacuum, which together with the air knife is continuously actuated, acquires the next sheet in the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: George J. Roller
  • Fluid jet assisted ion projection charging method
    Patent number: 4762997
    Abstract: A fluid jet assisted method for charging a receptor surface to a predetermined voltage includes the steps of generating ions in a chamber, entraining the ions in a rapidly moving fluid stream passing into, through and out of the chamber, depositing the ions on a charge receptor and biasing the back of the charge receptor with a bias equal to and of opposite potential of said predetermined voltage desired on the receptor surface. Both the ion generator and the receptor can be stationary for charging receptor plates or the like, or the receptor could be a moving belt or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Richard F. Bergen
  • Printing apparatus with improved ion focus
    Patent number: 4763141
    Abstract: A printing unit includes a current limited, low capacitance corona wire located 1-5 mm away from biased conductive plates which form a slit that allows ions to pass therethrough onto a receptor surface. The conductive plates are used to control the flow of ions through the slit and opposing wedges are positioned on each conductive plate in order to focus additional ions to the center of the slit. At inside edges of the slit there are additional fringe fields that aid in pumping ions out of the slit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert W. Gundlach, Richard F. Bergen
  • Foam binding
    Patent number: 4750956
    Abstract: A method of binding sheets of a book having highly irregular edges while maintaining a flush thumb edge, includes applying a foam adhesive to the irregular edges and wrapping a spine tape with cold adhesive such that the spine tape contacts the book covers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Malachowski
  • Pre-transfer copy sheet cleaning apparatus
    Patent number: 4750018
    Abstract: A copier/printer having a transfer station for transferring images from an imaging member to copy sheets includes the improvement of removing debris from the surfaces of copy sheets facing the imaging member before the copy sheets reach the transfer station. At least a pair of cooperating rolls are positioned to form a nip for driving the copy sheets therebetween toward the transfer station. The cooperating rolls include a drive roll and a dielectric roll with the dielectric roll being electrostatically charged by the drive roll and paper through contact and separation during the intercopy gaps between copy sheets in transit to the transfer station through contact with the copy sheets to electrostatically attract debris from the copy sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Arthur M. Gooray, Dennis A. Abramsohn, Stephen M. Borostyan, Joseph Mammino
  • Sorting apparatus
    Patent number: 4741524
    Abstract: A sheet sorting apparatus for collating and distributing sheets received from a reproducing apparatus and adapted to reduce static charge from the sheets includes an array of sheet receiving bins defined by tray members. A transport means conveys sheets past each of the bins. Each bin has at its opening an electrically insulting diverter member that can be pivoted from an inoperative to an operative position to deflect and guide a sheet into the associated bin. Attached to the diverter member is an electrically conductive brush arranged to contact a sheet entering the bin and an electrically conductive track connecting the brush via conductive bearings to the grounded conductive frame of the sorter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: David F. Bromage
  • Sheet feeders
    Patent number: 4735409
    Abstract: A sheet feeder for dealing with simplex or duplex copy sheets from a copier or like reprographic machine uses four rollers forming three sheet-feeding nips. All sheets enter the central nip: on leaving it they are selectively diverted into one or other of two sheet pockets, from which they bounce or are otherwise fed back into an aligned other nip. Sheets passing through one outer nip may be fed to an output tray, while those passing through the other nip may go back into the machine for further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Ian G. Brown
  • Efficiently mounted long coronodes
    Patent number: 4724509
    Abstract: A charging unit that is adaptable for use over indeterminate lengths without singing and sagging of corona wire(s) includes stringing the wire around pins positioned in the base of the charging unit in zig-zag fashion in order to provide overlap of charging from multiple segments of the wire. Alternatively, the wire(s) could be supported by a series of monofilaments positioned orthogonal to the direction of the wire(s) at periodic intervals. These charging units may be employed in either a corotron or scorotron configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1988
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Richard F. Bergen, Michael J. Levy
  • Copy sheet offsetting device
    Patent number: 4712786
    Abstract: A printing apparatus including a sorter and an offsetting device. The offsetting device is positioned within the printer and is adapted to translate sheets in route to the sorter alternately front and rearward such that copy sheets are offset before they are driven into the sorter with subsequent copy sheet sets being offset from each other within bins of the sorter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1987
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: John H. Looney