Patents by Inventor Michael Kurt Gordon

Michael Kurt Gordon 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).

  • Patent number: 6902161
    Abstract: An entrance guide for externally fed sheet (4) to printer (1) is configured to bow the sheets. In one embodiment guides (5a, 5aa) within slot 7 have upper and lower configurations which force sheet into a bow. In one embodiment slot (7a) is bowed and is sufficiently narrow in height to only accept a bowed sheet. The bowed sheets do not sag against the printer (1), which aids in sheet registration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Kurt Gordon, Thomas Campbell Wade
  • Publication number: 20040195755
    Abstract: An entrance guide for externally fed sheet (4) to printer (1) is configured to bow the sheets. In one embodiment guides (5a, 5aa) within slot 7 have upper and lower configurations which force sheet into a bow. In one embodiment slot (7a) is bowed and is sufficiently narrow in height to only accept a bowed sheet. The bowed sheets do not sag against the printer (1), which aids in sheet registration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: Michael Kurt Gordon, Thomas Campbell Wade
  • Patent number: 6550758
    Abstract: Sheets (57) exit printer (1) into finisher (3) where they are moved against perpendicular reference walls (61, 69) by frictional fingers (21, 23). The fingers are rotated away while a sheet is moved downward. Since the fingers are near their reference surface, buckling of the sheets normally does not occur, so the sheet stays in place. In an embodiment, the fingers move with a resilient force selected to be low enough so that the fingers stop when the sheet contacts the reference wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Ardery, Michael Kurt Gordon, David Emerson Greer, Stacey Vaughan Mitchell, Daniel Joseph Westhoff
  • Patent number: 6550763
    Abstract: Sheets (57) exit printer (1) into finisher (3) through corrugation rollers (13a-13d, 15a, 15b, 15aa, 15bb) encounter actuator tab (9a) to thereby rotate actuator (9) upward. Bails (11a-11b) are engaged by this and rotate upward. Each bail has a wing (11d, 11dd, 11e), which prevents curling. When the sheet is exited, gravity acting on the sheet and the actuator tab causes the sheet to drop. The bails also drop under gravity. The sheet is positioned to drop flat and near the exit, as intended for the finisher to form stacks of sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Kurt Gordon, William Joseph Thornhill
  • Patent number: 6547238
    Abstract: A pivotally mounted bail actuator is pivotally moved from its home position to an elevated position by the leading edge of a sheet of paper exiting from sheet path exit rollers of a printer. The pivotally mounted bail actuator has a wire bail extending for more than half of the sheet width. When the sheet exits from the sheet path exit rollers, both the pivotally mounted bail actuator and the sheet simultaneously fall by gravity, and the wire bail contacts the sheet to remove any longitudinal beam and to create a lateral beam extending the width of the sheet. A rear portion of the sheet falls onto an upper support surface with most of the sheet falling onto a lower support surface. If the sheet does not have a longitudinal beam, a lateral beam is created by the height difference of the two support surfaces on which the sheet is supported. The sheet is aligned on the upper support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Ardery, Michael Kurt Gordon, Daniel Joseph Westhoff
  • Publication number: 20020171197
    Abstract: A pivotally mounted bail actuator is pivotally moved from its home position to an elevated position by the leading edge of a sheet of paper exiting from sheet path exit rollers of a printer. The pivotally mounted bail actuator has a wire bail extending for more than half of the sheet width. When the sheet exits from the sheet path exit rollers, both the pivotally mounted bail actuator and the sheet simultaneously fall by gravity, and the wire bail contacts the sheet to remove any longitudinal beam and to create a lateral beam extending the width of the sheet. A rear portion of the sheet falls onto an upper support surface with most of the sheet falling onto a lower support surface. If the sheet does not have a longitudinal beam, a lateral beam is created by the height difference of the two support surfaces on which the sheet is supported. The sheet is aligned on the upper support surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Ardery, Michael Kurt Gordon, Daniel Joseph Westhoff
  • Publication number: 20020101029
    Abstract: Sheets (57) exit printer (1) into finisher (3) where they are moved against perpendicular reference walls (61, 69) by frictional fingers (21, 23). The fingers are rotated away while a sheet is moved downward. Since the fingers are near their reference surface, buckling of the sheets normally does not occur, so the sheet stays in place. In an embodiment, the fingers move with a resilient force selected to be low enough so that the fingers stop when the sheet contacts the reference wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Ardery, Michael Kurt Gordon, David Emerson Greer, Stacey Vaughan Mitchell, Daniel Joseph Westhoff
  • Publication number: 20020101030
    Abstract: Sheets (57) exit printer (1) into finisher (3) through corrugation rollers (13a-13d, 15a, 15b, 15aa, 15bb) encounter actuator tab (9a) to thereby rotate actuator (9) upward. Bails (11a-b) are engaged by this and rotate upward. Each bail has a wing (11d, 11dd, 11e), which prevents curling. When the sheet is exited, gravity acting on the sheet and the actuator tab causes the sheet to drop. The bails also drop under gravity. The sheet is positioned to drop flat and near the exit, as intended for the finisher to form stacks of sheets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: Michael Kurt Gordon, William Joseph Thornhill