Patents Examined by Luis Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 8028989
    Abstract: A bottom surface of a stacking and accommodating portion is structured such as to be sloped to be lower in accordance with moving away from a paper carry-in side, and a push plate is controlled so as to be moved in a direction moving close to a carry-in port of the paper by detecting a stack paper width determined on the basis of a product of a stacked number count information of the papers and a thickness information per one paper, and the papers are accommodated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions, Corporation
    Inventors: Naofumi Kitagawa, Shinji Shibata, Minoru Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 8016115
    Abstract: Disclosed is a waste separation apparatus comprising a vortex initiator (10) and a vortex generator (20). The vortex generator (20) is arranged to direct the airflow from the vortex initiator (10) towards the waste to be separated. The airflow is used to separate less dense waste from more dense waste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Tek-Dry Systems Limited
    Inventor: Thomas Fryars
  • Patent number: 7992867
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus of the invention has: a movement blocking unit for blocking a movement of a sheet which is moved to a side edge aligning unit by a moving unit, thereby allowing the moving unit to position adjustment slip move on the sheet so as to adjust a relative position with the sheet; and a block cancelling unit for allowing the movement blocking unit to cancel the block of the movement of the sheet when the moving unit slips and moves by a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Finetech Inc.
    Inventors: Kouji Okamoto, Atsushi Takada
  • Patent number: 7957657
    Abstract: A measurement module for a printer generally includes a page diverter mechanism configured to selectively divert a sheet of media from a main media path to a module media path; a rotating drum configured to receive the media from the module media path and to affix the media on an outer surface of the drum; a measuring device spaced adjacent to the drum and configured to measure as aspect of the media affixed to the surface of the drum; and a sheet transport configured to remove the media from the drum. According to one embodiment, the module may include a drum with an electrostatic hold-down mechanism that captures a sheet and an axially translating measuring device that is configured to read the entire surface as the drum rotates. The measurement module also allows the printed media to cool to eliminate problems with color measurements due to thermo chromaticity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Francisco Zirilli, Jerry F. Adams, Augusto E. Barton, Paul S. Bonino, Derek A. Bryl
  • Patent number: 7946578
    Abstract: In an automatic original conveying device, a motor rotates in a single direction and a driving force transmission mechanism transmits the driving force of the motor from a sheet feeding roller to a switchback roller. The sheet feeding roller conveys an original that stands by in a switchback conveying path to a second conveying path. A sorting unit sorts the original conveyed from a paper delivery path to an original delivery table or to the switchback conveying path. The switchback roller is provided between the sorting unit and the switchback conveying path and it is rotatable in a normal direction or a reverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohji Hatayama, Taku Kudoh
  • Patent number: 7934716
    Abstract: The invention provides a paper sheet separating and accumulating apparatus which prevents a discharged paper money from entering into an accumulating carrier path in the case of discharging the paper money, and inhibits a jam from being generated. The paper sheet separating and accumulating apparatus is provided with a movable portion (for example, a stack guide, a detection lever, and a pressurized member) which is changed its position in correspondence to a movement of a paper sheet to a position at which an elevating plate discharges the paper sheet from an accumulating portion, and the movable portion is provided with a shielding portion (for example, a concavity and convexity of the movable portion and a shielding member) shielding a route from a two-way carrier path to an accumulating carrier path, in the case of discharging the paper sheet from the accumulating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions Corp.
    Inventor: Akihiro Nagura
  • Patent number: 7934719
    Abstract: An improved document feeder flag assembly is disclosed. The improved document feeder flag assembly allows single handed, on the fly loading of a document sorter. A method for loading a document sorting machine with a single hand, while the method of operating the machine is also disclosed. The document feeder flag assembly includes a baseplate and a pivot post attached to the baseplate. Further, the assembly includes a flag arm having a first side and a second side, the first side of the flag arm is attached to the pivot post. There is also a feeder flag having a first side and a second side, the first side of the feeder flag being attached to a second side of the flag arm. The document feeder flag assembly also includes a resistance device attached between the feeder flag and the flag arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Burroughs Payment Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: David B. Tratar
  • Patent number: 7931272
    Abstract: A sheet delivery has an endless conveyor for conveying printed sheets and a secondary gripper with a gripper bar for holding printed sheets received at their trailing edges from the endless conveyor, to be deposited on a delivery stack. A transmission generates an annular circulatory movement of the gripper bar. A first balance weight and a second balance weight are provided for compensating for interference torques and are braced for rotation in relation to one another by a spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Markus Möhringer, Stefan Mutschall
  • Patent number: 7931268
    Abstract: This device for braking a flat product, in particular a signature, has a support, a brake shoe for braking the flat product, the brake shoe being movable between a position allowing the passage of the flat product and a position effecting braking of the flat product, and a drive for driving the brake shoe from the passing position towards the braking position. The drive includes an eccentric element which is movable in rotation and co-operates with the brake shoe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Goss International Montataire SA
    Inventors: Franck Chagnon, Philippe Herda, Thierry Melon, Jérôme Peres, Eric Pierda, Jean-François Robert, Philippe Robin, Thierry Vauchelle
  • Patent number: 7922172
    Abstract: A bottom surface of a stacking and accommodating portion is structured such as to be sloped to be lower in accordance with moving away from a paper carry-in side, and a push plate is controlled so as to be moved in a direction moving close to a carry-in port of the paper by detecting a stack paper width determined on the basis of a product of a stacked number count information of the papers and a thickness information per one paper, and the papers are accommodated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions, Corporation
    Inventors: Naofumi Kitagawa, Shinji Shibata, Minoru Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 7913991
    Abstract: To achieve a high-speed feeder, improvement of a rotational rate is required similarly in a feed motor and a conveyance motor, resulting in high costs. Moreover, in simultaneous control of paper feed and discharge, improvement of a conveyance rate leads to a high discharge rate to deteriorate alignment of discharged paper sheets. To solve the problems, the rate of the feed roller is set higher than the rate of the conveyance roller. The rate of the feed roller is determined based on the rate of the conveyance roller and an allowable amount of a loop formed by a rate difference between the two rollers. In the simultaneous control of paper feed and discharge, a distance between pages is detected by a sensor to determine whether the distance is sufficient, from the relation between current feed and conveyance rates. In the case of insufficient distance, the conveyance roller is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akira Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7914001
    Abstract: This application relates to systems and methods for determining the lateral component of skew for a sheet of media. First, the skew angle of a sheet of media is determined. Then, the lateral component of the skew is determined. During a lateral registration operation, the lateral component of the skew is accounted and compensated for. In one implementation, the slope of the angle of the skew may be determined by taking the regression of the function characterizing the edge of the sheet as it passes an edge detection sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Douglas K. Herrmann
  • Patent number: 7905481
    Abstract: A method for feeding a shingled stack of sheet material to a downstream processing device includes the step of identifying a discontinuity in the shingled stack of sheet material wherein the discontinuity has a length dimension from an aft end of a downstream portion of the shingled sheet material to a forward end of an upstream portion of the shingled sheet material. In a next step, the motion of first and second serially arranged conveyors are controlled such that the length dimension of the discontinuity is substantially equal to a prescribed gap of known length dimension. The first conveyor supports the upstream portion of the shingled sheet material and the second conveyor supports the downstream portion of the shingled sheet material. The deck of the first is advanced over the deck of the second conveyor toward the aft end of the downstream portion by the length dimension of the prescribed gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: W. Scott Kalm
  • Patent number: 7905480
    Abstract: A job separator has a first roller unit and a second roller unit adjacent to the first roller unit. The first roller unit has a first driven roller and a first drive roller, which receive and convey a sheet between them. The second roller unit has a second driven roller and a second drive roller, which also receive and convey a sheet between them. The second drive roller may selectively move between a first position, in which the second drive roller is below the second driven roller, and a second position in which the second drive roller is above the second driven roller. An image processing apparatus has the job separator, a recording unit, an output tray, and a control unit for controlling the second drive roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Ito, Noritsugu Ito, Wataru Sugiyama, Naokazu Tanahashi
  • Patent number: 7905479
    Abstract: A feeder unit to feed sheets is provided. The feeder unit includes a main frame, being swingably supported at a pivotal end by a first shaft, and arranged to extend from the first shaft toward an upper level of a tray, a rotary member, which is rotatably supported, and is arranged to come in contact with a topmost surface of the sheets, a pair of opposing walls, formed in the main frame, a secondary frame, having a pair of supporting walls which come to face the opposing walls, a gear train to transmit rotation force to the rotary member, a positioning system to situate the secondary frame in a predetermined position, and a detachment restricting system to restrict the secondary frame from being detached from the main frame. The secondary frame is situated in the predetermined position when the rotary member rotates in a direction to feed the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 7896164
    Abstract: A device for sorting out waste parts of workpieces on saws has a saw having at least one saw blade for cutting workpieces into workpiece parts. At least one feed roller is arranged upstream of the saw in a transport direction of workpieces. At least one feed roller is arranged downstream of the saw in the transport direction. At least one transport device is provided for the workpiece parts cut at the saw. At least one acceleration roller is arranged in the transport direction of the workpieces downstream of the saw so that the cut workpiece parts are transported by being accelerated away from the cutting area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: GreCon Dimter Holzoptimierung Süd GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Schmid, Georg Reinbold
  • Patent number: 7887041
    Abstract: A feed roller assembly includes a shaft, a plurality of rollers, and a plurality of covers. The rollers are fixed to the shaft at intervals along it. The covers are positioned at both ends of the rollers and surround the shaft, without being fixed to it. Paper dust falls from the outer cylindrical surfaces of the rollers and accumulates on the covers, without coming into direct contact with the cylindrical surface of the shaft. Because the covers are not fixed to the cylindrical surface of the shaft, they rotate at a lower speed than the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshiki Takiguchi
  • Patent number: 7874558
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes an intermediate stacking portion which temporarily stacks, thereon, a sheet conveyed thereto; a discharge portion which discharges sheet stacked on the intermediate stacking portion; an aligning member which is provided downstream of the discharge portion in a sheet conveying direction and has a sheet holding surface capable of holding the lower surfaces of the sheet and a sheet aligning surface capable of abutting against end portions of the sheet in the widthwise direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, the aligning member being movable in the widthwise direction; a first stacking portion which is provided below the aligning member and stacks, thereon, a sheet discharged from the discharge portion; and a second stacking portion which is provided above the aligning member and stacks, thereon, a sheet conveyed thereto; wherein a standby position of the aligning member is at a position more inward than the outermost position in the widthwise direction, within
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Ogata, Masayoshi Fukatsu, Junichi Sekiyama, Hiroharu Tsuji, Akihiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7871069
    Abstract: Disclosed is a sheet roller capable of achieving compactness and thinness, and improves space usability and design freedom. The sheet roller includes a roller body coupled with the rotation shaft, a plurality of coupling members coupled with a side surface of the roller body in order to surround a part of an outer peripheral surface of the roller body, and disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body in such a manner as to be spaced apart from one another, and an elastic sheet interposed between the roller body and each of the plurality of coupling members. The roller body is formed to have a predetermined thickness thereof while maintaining a predetermined shape and strength thereof, and thus, improving space usability and the design freedom of an automatic transaction machine where the sheet roller is mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Nautilus Hyosung Inc.
    Inventors: Dong Sik Lee, Won Joon Lee, Joon Hyuk Han
  • Patent number: 7871070
    Abstract: A conveyor conveys sheets and deposits the sheets at a location to be stacked. The conveyor includes a sensor for determining the presence of a sheet before the sheet arrives at the location. A controller is coupled to the sensor and responsive to sensor inputs for controlling a movable support for projecting into a projected orientation to receive the sheets as the sheets exit the conveyor. The movable support moves to a retracted orientation to assist a stack to be withdrawn therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Padana AG
    Inventors: Arlington D. Ruff, Clifford A. Ruff, Jürgen F. Trost