Abstract: A tape measure includes a case with an opening, a core inside the case, a spring extending around and imparting a radially inward force to most of a circumference of the core, and a graduated free metal tape with an arcuate cross-section that is wound around the core between the core and spring. The free metal tape is not connected to the case and core and its entire length is passable through the opening. The spring urges the tape flat against the core. The tape may be graduated on both sides. The case may include rollers that roll on an external periphery of the tape wound around the core and that are urged radially inward by the spring, and plural slots in which respective axes of the rollers are displaced in response to a change of diameter of the external periphery of the tape wound around the core.

Abstract: A sorter and receiving tray for paper sheets is described, including the control of each paper sheet so that there is positive displacement of the sheet into the receiving tray. The device disclosed includes both a top and bottom feeding mechanism, each of which controls with positive displacement the placing of the sheet into a receiving tray.Additionally, the sorter of the present invention controls the curl of the paper and includes fixed trays which can be fully loaded with paper, inasmuch as the curl problem is eliminated. The sorter also includes a signal device to indicate when a receiving tray is filled with paper. The sorter and receiving tray of the present invention is particularly arranged to avoid interference between the sheets of paper, and to eliminate paper jams, mis-sorts, and the like.

Abstract: A document feeder is disclosed which can be used with glass-top machines. It fits such copiers, having either a stationery or a moving sheet-support. It is small, lightweight, compact and portable. It feeds the bottom-most page first from a face-up stack of sheets, and re-stacks the copied sheets, face-up, with the bottom sheet at the bottom of the new stack. It operates in excess of 25 copies per minute. Drive wheels feed the document-to-be-copied onto the copier glass and, when the wheels are reversed, remove the document from the glass into a stacking area. The removal of a document from the glass and the placement of the next document onto the glass occur during the non-copying time of the continuously-running copier. The feed/separation act upon the center of the documents. The copier can derive its driving force and energy from the copier or can have its own independent power source.

Abstract: A document feeder is disclosed which can be used with glass-top copy machines. It fits such copiers, having either a stationery or a moving sheet-support. It is small, light-weight, compact and portable. It feeds the bottom-most page first from a face-up stack of sheets, and re-stacks the copied sheets, face-up, with the bottom sheet at the bottom of the new stack. It operates in excess of 25 copies per minute.Drive wheels feed the document-to-be-copied onto the copier glass and, when the wheels are reversed, remove the document from the glass into a stacking area. The removal of a document from the glass and the placement of the next document onto the glass occur during the non-copying time of the continuously-running copier. The feed/separation act upon the center of the documents.The copier can derive its driving force and energy from the copier or can have its own independent power source.

Abstract: A document feeder is disclosed which can be used with glass-top copy machines. It fits such copiers, having either a stationary or a moving sheet-support. It is small, lightweight, compact and portable. It feeds the bottom-most page first from a face-up stack of sheets, and re-stacks the copied sheets, face-up, with the bottom sheet at the bottom of the new stack. It operates in excess of 25 copies per minute.Drive wheels feed the document-to-be-copied onto the copier glass and, when the wheels are reversed, remove the document from the glass into a stacking area. The removal of a document from the glass and the placement of the next document onto the glass occur during the non-copying time of the continuously-running copier. The feed/separation act upon the center of the documents.The copier can derive its driving force and energy from the copier or can have its own independent power source.

Abstract: A document feeder is disclosed which can be used with glass-top copy machines. It fits such copiers, having either a stationary or a moving sheet-support. It is small, light-weight, compact and portable. It feeds the bottom-most page first from a face-up stack of sheets, and re-stacks the copied sheets, face-up, with the bottom sheet at the bottom of the new stack. It operates in excess of 25 copies per minute.Drive wheels feed the document-to-be-copied onto the copier glass and, when the wheels are reversed, remove the document from the glass into a stacking area. The removal of a document from the glass and the placement of the next document onto the glass occur during the non-copying time of the continuously-running copier. The feed/separation act upon the center of the documents.The copier can derive its driving force and energy from the copier or can have its own independent power source.

Abstract: A large capacity tray sheet feeder for a photocopier including a sheet stack separator and a transfer table for presenting a sheet to the photocopier where the sheet separator separates a sheet from a paper stack and the transfer table accepts the sheet and presents the sheet to the photocopier, and the transfer table includes sheet sensing means which control the operation of the separator drive motor.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for a bottom feed printer which comprises a housing member having legs extending therethrough which support a feeder directly on a table surface and which includes a sheet feeding mechanism in the housing which successively feeds sheets to feed rolls of the printer even though the printer is presently loaded with fanfold paper.

Abstract: A stop-mechanism is disclosed for use with a document feeder which itself supplies documents to-be-copied onto a glass top. The stop-mechanism includes a flag which is disposed in contact with the glass top of the copy machine and which is actuated by the document to-be-copied as it is discharged onto the glass top of the copier by the document feeder.

Abstract: An automatic sheet feeding device cooperates with a copying apparatus or the like for advancing a single sheet to be copied from a stack of sheets. A sheet drive mechanism of the sheet feeding device feeds the sheets into an entrance end of a feeding device of the sheet processing apparatus. A cover is pivotally mounted on the sheet feeding device and cooperates with a roller separating device to facilitate the clearing of sheet jams. A provision is made to allow removal and replacement of rollers of the sheet drive mechanism.

Abstract: A drive mechanism is disclosed for a document feeder which is used in supplying documents to-be-copied onto the glass top of a copy machine.The drive mechanism includes a set of feed wheels which remove the document to-be-copied from a document support and by rotating in one direction move the document to-be-copied against a set of drive wheels. The drive wheels, when rotated in one direction, move the document onto the glass top of a document copier against a stop, where the document is copied. Thereupon the drive wheels rotate in the opposite direction to remove the copied document from the glass top of a copying machine and deposit the copied document into a receiving tray.

Abstract: A drop sheet feeder for mounting above the platen of a printing apparatus has a plurality of upstanding trays moved by a tray shifting device to release individual sheets of paper stored therebetween. The platen drive of the printing apparatus is operatively connected with the drop sheet feeder to release the individual sheets of material sequentially. A sheet feeding device of the drop sheet feeder is operatively engageable with the released sheet of sheet material to feed the sheet into engagement with the insert portion of the feed path about the platen of the printing apparatus. The drop sheet feeder can be used to feed individual sheets of material, multi-part form sets or envelopes.

Abstract: A document turnover device mounted on a copying apparatus adjacent an exit end thereof receives documents being fed through the copying apparatus by a document feeding mechanism and inverts them from a first orientation to the reverse orientation. A guide or deflector deflects the documents from the high speed discharge rollers of the document feeding mechanism to a slow speed turnover drive mechanism. The document turnover device allows the documents to be pushed through the drive mechanism at the higher speed and then decelerates the documents following their release from the discharge rollers for neat stacking upon the cover of the copying apparatus.

Abstract: In the present invention, a frame, mounted above the platen of a typewriter or a word processing machine, supports a drive roller in contact with the platen. This drive roller is also in contact with a tray-moving mechanism, supported above the drive roller. A plurality of trays carried in the frame are supported above the platen so as to hold sheets of paper or envelopes vertically between trays and in alignment with the sheet insert side of the platen. When the platen is turned backward, the drive roller actuates the tray-moving mechanism, causing a tray to move, separating it from the next adjacent tray and permitting a sheet of paper which had been placed therebetween to drop into position against the platen. Thus the sheets are fed automatically against the platen when the platen rotation is reversed.

Abstract: A continuous web feeder for printers and the like includes side frames, drive and support shafts for the feed tractors, and a cutter wheel movable between the side frames and rotatable as it moves therebetween to cut the web. A drive unit includes an electric motor to effect to transverse and rotary motion, and control means actuated by operation of the printer to actuate the motor for movement of the cutter from one side frame to the other and to change the direction of rotation of the motor at each cycle and thereby the direction of movement of the cutter wheel. In its preferred form, the drive means includes winch and cord means engaged with the cutting wheel and its support to effect the transverse and rotary motion, and the control means includes an actuator operated by the motor to effect operation of switches.

Abstract: In the present invention, a sheet-sorter, operating in conjunction with a photocopy machine, has a plurality of trays in general horizontal alignment with the path taken by a sheet of paper discharged from the copier. A tray pusher is arranged to move the lower-most tray in a stack of trays disposed above the paper-path so that the in-board end of the lower-most tray will drop some distance below the paper path, after the sheet has been discharged from the copier. The tray-pusher may be activated by movement of the copier carriage or by an appropriate gear-train connection to a pair of juxtaposed rolls, slightly spaced from each other, constructed and arranged so that one roll will cause the other roll to rotate only when a sheet of paper is disposed between the rolls as the sheet is discharged from the copier. The stack of trays may be re-set manually or by the movement of the copier carriage.

Abstract: An improvement in the mechanism for separating sheet-receiving trays of a sorter for photocopy machines, which increases the capacity of the sorter. A plurality of drive cams each sliding up and down on its own drive shaft, and each having a helical slot on its outer surface, rotate as the shafts are rotated. Trunions extending from the trays engage the helical grooves in the cams, and they, along with the tray to which they are connected, move up or down as the cams rotate. The sorter has improved capacity while yet permitting access between trays. It is simple and positive in operation and provides sorting action in both the upward and downward movement of the cams on the driveshafts.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for receiving sheets from the discharge portion of an electrostatic copy machine, which apparatus receives, stacks and collates the sheets as desired. The apparatus can be electrically independent of the copier and is attached thereto by simple hanger and bracket arrangements. The apparatus includes a plurality of trays which are moved past the discharge opening of the copier, and which are controlled and arranged, selectively to receive (1) a plurality of sheets in each tray; (2) a single copy of each sheet in each of several trays; or (3) a number of identical sheets in one tray and a differing number of other sheets in successive trays. The apparatus can collect, collate, and sort the sheets while the trays are moving in one direction past the copier discharge opening, as well as when the trays are moving past it in the other direction.