Patents by Inventor Herman Smith

Herman Smith has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20070102873
    Abstract: An apparatus for varying nip pressure in a media feedpath including a feed roller and a pressure roller defining a feed nip there between includes a rotatable cam having a preselected eccentric path when rotated, a first pivotable linkage pivotally engaging the rotatable cam, a second pivotable linkage, a biasing member operably interconnecting the first and second pivotal linkages for providing a biasing force on the pressure roller. The pressure roller is rotatably connected to the second linkage opposite the biasing member, wherein rotation of the cam varies the biasing force provided by the biasing member on the pressure roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Inventors: Larry Acton, William Connors, Daniel Gagnon, Herman Smith
  • Publication number: 20050211931
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a media support surface. A light source and a light detector are positioned in relation to a reflective surface such that when a sheet of print media covers the reflective surface, a reflected specular light component of a light beam is received by the light detector, and when the reflective surface is not covered, the reflective surface directs the reflected specular light component of the light beam away from the detector. The signal strength of the output from the light detector when receiving a diffuse light component reflected from the reflective surface is less than the signal strength of the output from the light detector when receiving the reflected specular light component that is reflected from a low reflectance print media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2004
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Inventors: Mahesan Chelvayohan, Charles Simpson, Herman Smith