With Means To Vibrate Pack Patents (Class 271/146)
  • Patent number: 11524856
    Abstract: A medium feeding device is provided with a feeding section for feeding a medium and sensors for detecting the medium. The feeding section includes a feed roller and a separation roller, the sensors form a sensor line in which the plurality of sensors is aligned in a feeding direction of the medium to be fed, the two sensor lines are arranged in such a manner that the sensors overlap with each other in a width direction of the medium to be fed, and the sensor lines are so configured as to extend, in the feeding direction, from an upstream region upstream of a nip point where the feed roller and the separation roller make contact with each other, a nip region including the nip point, and to a downstream region downstream of the nip point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masatomo Kanamitsu
  • Patent number: 11492221
    Abstract: An agitator for agitating sheets of material passing through a sheet transport device that has upper and lower guide sections defining a sheet transport path therebetween. The agitator includes first and second sets of rollers each having a roller axis of rotation and a width, and the rollers are mounted to at least one holder such that the axes of rotation of the rollers are radially spaced from a line and such that rotating the at least one holder around the line causes the rollers to orbit around the line. At least one support supports the holder for rotation around the line, and the set of first rollers is spaced from the set of second rollers in the direction of the line by a distance greater than the width of the rollers. Also a sheet transport device including the agitator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: A.G. STACKER INC.
    Inventor: Dalton Hege
  • Patent number: 11472650
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a medium tray, a feed roller, an upper guide, a movement sensor including an arm movably provided by the fed medium on the upper guide and on an upstream side of the feed roller, to generate a movement amount signal corresponding to a movement amount of the arm, a medium sensor to detect a presence of the medium at a predetermined position of the medium tray, a processor to determine whether a feeding abnormality of the medium has occurred based on the movement amount signal, detect a size of the medium placed on the medium tray based on a detection result by the medium sensor, and stop feeding of the medium by the feed roller when the processor determines that the feeding abnormality of the media has occurred and the detected size of the media is equal to or less than a predetermined size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Niwata, Ken Funaki, Hiroyuki Kitano
  • Patent number: 11353375
    Abstract: An example test system includes a tray to hold devices, where the devices include devices to be tested or devices that have been tested; a motor that is controllable to cause vibrations; and a component that couples the motor to the tray to cause the tray to vibrate in response to the vibrations of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: TERADYNE, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Bruno, Mark S. O'Brien, Philip Campbell, Marc LeSueur Smith, Adnan Khalid
  • Patent number: 11072505
    Abstract: A sheet storage apparatus includes a storage unit having bottom and side surface portions and a width regulation unit that regulates a sheet edge position and includes first and second regulation members movable in a direction opposite to a movement of a moving first regulation member. The bottom surface portion is provided with first and second positioning holes to position the first regulation member, provided with first and second fixing holes. When a direction of the fixing member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the bottom surface portion is defined as a first direction and a direction of the fixing member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the side surface portion is defined as a second direction, the first direction and the second direction are other than parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuo Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 9790044
    Abstract: A placement station for placing flat items has multiple transport elements extending through a related opening in a placement deck of the placement station. All transport elements are driven by a single drive motor via toothed belt discs and toothed belts. At least one trigger sensor is arranged in the placement station on the exit side of the mail-item flow. The drive motor and the trigger sensor are electrically connected with means for controlling the transport speed of the flat items. Each transport element is carried by a transport module. The placement station has multiple transport modules, each extending with a transport element mounted on its head side through a related opening in a placement deck of the placement station. The transport modules are lowerable below the placement deck in a direction contrary to a spring force. The direction of traction can be changed by turning at least one transport module before or during operation of the placement station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Axel Ortmann, Wolfgang Muhl
  • Patent number: 8991815
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a separating and taking out device has a feeding base, a takeout part, a support part and an ultrasonic vibrator. The feeding base places a piled stack. The piled stack is composed of a plurality of media stacked in a direction. The taking out part takes out the plurality of media one by one from one end in the direction of the piled stack. The support part has a facing surface opposing a side surface of the piled stack. The ultrasonic vibrator has a vibrating surface opposing the end in the direction of the piled stack and one end in the direction of the support part. The ultrasonic vibrator oscillates the vibrating surface along a line connecting the vibrating surface with a gap between the side surface of the piled stack and the facing surface of the support part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kiminori Toya, Yuji Kubota
  • Publication number: 20140353906
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a separating and taking out device has a feeding base, a takeout part, a support part and an ultrasonic vibrator. The feeding base places a piled stack. The piled stack is composed of a plurality of media stacked in a direction. The taking out part takes out the plurality of media one by one from one end in the direction of the piled stack. The support part has a facing surface opposing a side surface of the piled stack. The ultrasonic vibrator has a vibrating surface opposing the end in the direction of the piled stack and one end in the direction of the support part. The ultrasonic vibrator oscillates the vibrating surface along a line connecting the vibrating surface with a gap between the side surface of the piled stack and the facing surface of the support part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Kiminori Toya, Yuji Kubota
  • Publication number: 20140175738
    Abstract: Disclosed in the present invention is a sheet-type medium stacking and guiding device, also disclosed in the present invention are a control system and a method based on the same. The device comprises: a left limiting plate (14) and/or a right limiting plate (19), which locate at the outer end of a medium passage made up of a left and a right passage plate (301, 304); a driving mechanism (25), which is in transmission connection with the limiting plates and drives the limiting plates to move along the longitudinal direction of the medium. The system comprises a central control module (901), a detection module (902), a data processing module (903), an image acquisition module (904), a storage module (905) and an execution module (906).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: GRG Banking Equipment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Heng Liu, Dong Tan, En Wu, Fa Ran
  • Patent number: 8757348
    Abstract: A paper money input and output device includes a money input unit to which paper money is paid in, a money output unit which releases paper money to the exterior of the device, a plurality of recirculation cases which, along with storing paper money, also output stored paper money to the money output unit, a collection case which can store paper money from the money input unit or the plurality of recirculation cases, and a rejected-for-payout case which stores money which has been paid out from the recirculation cases and which has been rejected for outpayment; and, along with these units being arranged so that the thickness direction of the paper money which they receive is in the same direction, and along with them being provided in a stacked state in that direction, on one side only of a direction which is orthogonal with respect to the direction along which the money input unit, the money output unit, the collection case, the rejected-for-payout case, and the recirculation cases are provided in a stacked
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Laurel Precision Machines Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiichi Yoshikawa, Keiji Sakai
  • Patent number: 8585043
    Abstract: A sheet adjusting device applicable to a sheet holding receptacle, an image forming mechanism, and an image reading mechanism includes a sheet setting plate to place a sheet thereon; first and second regulating member to slidably move in a given direction, and a friction-reducing unit disposed on the sheet setting plate to reduce a frictional force on an underside of the sheet. Alternatively, a sheet adjusting device includes a sheet setting plate, a sheet contact face disposed downstream of the sheet setting plate to cause the leading edge of the sheet abuts against the sheet contact face, first and second regulating member, and a friction-reducing unit disposed on the sheet contact face to reduce a frictional force on the sheet contact face and the leading edge of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jumpei Aoyama, Yasuhiro Sagawa
  • Patent number: 8387967
    Abstract: An apparatus for handling stacks (18) of printing media (11) which are arranged above one another and are made from packaging material, in particular a magazine (16) for excise stamps, coupons or the like, preferably within an apparatus for producing packs (10) for cigarettes, having a shaft (19) for receiving the stack (18), which shaft (19) is delimited at least partially by preferably stationary walls (20) and is, in particular, upright. The shaft (19) can have at least one suction device (25) which acts in regions on the stack (18) in order to hold and/or align the printing media (11) on the wall (20) by means of vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Martin Bischoff, Harald Freudenberg
  • Patent number: 8226082
    Abstract: An apparatus for conveying products from a stack to an output includes a stack area configured for receiving a stack of a plurality of products, a guiding element extending to the output, and a transport mechanism configured for acting on at least part of the products in the stack for conveying the products in the direction of the output such that edges of the products abut on the guiding element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Boewe Systec AG
    Inventor: Reinhard Seiler
  • Patent number: 7810801
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating and aerating sheets of material arranged in a stack include a stack support member on which the stack is retained in a generally flat condition, and a clamping member which clamps onto an edge portion of the stack. Upper and lower rollers are positioned above and below the stack of sheet material, and an adjustment member converges and diverges the same into and out of engagement with the stack. A conveyor member shifts the stack of sheet material between the upper and lower rollers. The upper roller and lower roller are arranged in a staggered relationship, such that an imaginary plane extending between the two rollers is disposed at an angle with respect to both the horizontal and the vertical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Inventor: Frank Stemmer
  • Patent number: 7802785
    Abstract: In an apparatus, a pile of sheets is mounted on a support base, and is brought into contact with a guide. A high-frequency vibration is applied to the sheets from a vibrating part which is pressed to the pile. A sheet on the uppermost surface of the pile is transferred by a feed roller. The guide has a guide end defining a guide entrance between the guide end and the feed roller, through which the sheets is passed. The guide end is arranged substantially in a virtual plane including a contact position at which the vibrating part is in contact with the uppermost surface of the pile, and substantially parallel with the sheets. A separation section for separating sheets from each other is arranged behind the entrance, and an air blow-off section for blowing air into the side of the pile is provided in the vicinity of the entrance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yuko Kobayashi, Kiminori Toya, Hideki Nukada, Masaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7792609
    Abstract: A gripping device for a manipulation system, particularly a robot, for receiving workpieces and feeding them from a readied stack of the workpieces to a manufacturing plant such as a metal sheet folding machine, punching press, welding plant, etc. The device has a gripper head fitted with gripping means such as suction cups, magnets, tongs, etc., and a detection system for detecting characteristics of the workpiece gripped by the gripping means. A pulse emitter excites vibrations in the workpiece and the vibration spectrum of the workpiece is compared to reference vibration data to determine characteristics of the gripped workpiece, such as whether two or more workpieces are stuck together, or whether the workpiece is the correct workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Trumpf Maschinen Austria GmbH & Co. Kg.
    Inventors: Hagen Strasser, Gerhard Sperrer
  • Publication number: 20100187749
    Abstract: A storage tray for storing mailpieces for a mail-handling machine, which storage tray comprises a support wall, a first jogging wall adjacent and perpendicular to said support wall, and a second jogging wall adjacent and perpendicular both to said support wall and to said first jogging wall, these three walls meeting at a single junction point, the support wall being provided with at least one first slot for allowing motor-driven feed members of the mail-handling machine to pass through.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: NEOPOST TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventor: Romain PILLARD
  • Patent number: 7731167
    Abstract: Methods and systems employing belt conveyors adapted to feed signatures to a collating conveyor and a control system that regulates the operation of the belt conveyors are provided. The control system is adapted to regulate the speed of the belt conveyors in response to the speed of the collating conveyor, for example, proportional to the speed of the collating conveyor, to minimize or eliminate signature misfeeds. The control system may implement a mathematical algorithm that defines a relationship between the collating conveyor speed and the belt conveyor speeds. The systems and methods may include ancillary feeding devices such as joggers and speeder wheels to optimize the transfer of signatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Prim Hall Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Prim, David F. Hall, Berend Doane
  • Patent number: 7717418
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing envelopes. A support plates and a pressure sensing lever support a stack of envelopes in a generally upright orientation. The pressure sensing lever pivots in accordance with pressure exerted by the stack of envelopes. A feeding apparatus is operatively coupled to a sensor such that pivotal movement of the pressure sensing lever is detected by the sensor and the feeding apparatus changes the pressure exerted against the stack of envelopes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Kern International, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Kern, Reinhard Buri
  • Patent number: 7708268
    Abstract: A pile of sheets is held by a separator/feeder and a vibrator is brought into contact with a first region of the pile with a first contact pressure. High frequency vibrations are applied from the vibrator to the sheet. A takeout mechanism is brought into contact with and pressed against the pile with a second contact pressure and sheets are taken out one by one from the top surface of the pile by the takeout mechanism. A first sensor detects the position of the vibrator and outputs a first detection signal, while a second sensor detects the uppermost surface of the pile and outputs a second detection signal. A control section selects first and second contact pressures according to the first and second detection signals and maintains the first and second contact pressures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kiminori Toya, Hideki Nukada, Yuko Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7694957
    Abstract: In a device that separates a sheet and extracts the sheet from a stack of the sheets, the stack of sheets is placed on a sheet feeding unit. A vibrator is in contact with the top surface of the stack at a spot to vibrate the sheets at a high frequency. The high-frequency vibration reduces the adhesion and frictional force among the sheets. A sheet extraction mechanism conveys each sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideki Nukada, Yuko Kobayashi, Kiminori Toya
  • Patent number: 7677555
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet containing unit that contains sheets; a sheet conveying unit that conveys the sheets; a separating unit that separates a single sheet from the sheets; a holding unit that holds the separating unit; and a vibration applying unit that applies a vibration to any one of the sheets conveyed by the sheet conveying unit and the separating unit before starting conveyance of the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Mizuna Tanaka, Yasuo Matsuyama, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Toshikane Nishii, Kazuyoshi Kondo, Yasuhide Ohkubo, Haruyuki Honda, Ippei Kimura, Masafumi Takahira
  • Patent number: 7533879
    Abstract: A media tray has at least a bottom and two sides positioned along edges of the bottom. The media tray is adapted to hold sheets of media. The bottom comprises openings, and projections extend through the openings in the bottom of the media tray. The projections comprise elongated structures having rounded or flattened ends. The projections extend through the openings enough to touch the bottom sheet of the sheets of media. At least one vibrating support structure is positioned on an opposite side of the bottom from the sheets of media (e.g., below the media tray). The support structure is connected to the projections in such a manner so as to vibrate the projections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph Marasco
  • Publication number: 20090072470
    Abstract: A media tray has at least a bottom and two sides positioned along edges of the bottom. The media tray is adapted to hold sheets of media. The bottom comprises openings, and projections extend through the openings in the bottom of the media tray. The projections comprise elongated structures having rounded or flattened ends. The projections extend through the openings enough to touch the bottom sheet of the sheets of media. At least one vibrating support structure is positioned on an opposite side of the bottom from the sheets of media (e.g., below the media tray). The support structure is connected to the projections in such a manner so as to vibrate the projections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Inventor: Joseph Marasco
  • Patent number: 7431285
    Abstract: The present invention is a vibratory sheet jogger which is used to jog and separate sheets of paper such as bank checks so that the sheets of paper and/or bank checks can be aligned. To achieve this result, a vertically jogging motion of a sheet tray is generated from a mechanical combination of an eccentric pulley assembly driven by a DC motor and a slotted ring comprising a slotted bore affixed to the sheet tray of the jogger. Specifically the combination includes a ball bearing with the eccentric pulley inserted into the slotted bore of the slotted ring, wherein the height of the slotted bore matches the outside diameter of the ball bearing, and the length of the slotted bore is larger than the diameter of the ball bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Y. Nissim, Inc.
    Inventor: Yosi Nissim
  • Publication number: 20070296140
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a vibrating jogging tray with rotatable rods having longitudinal edges. The apparatus can further include a transfer assembly comprising a transfer belt and a first vacuum system positioned opposite to a separation assembly comprising a separation belt and, optionally, a second vacuum system. In operation, the rods rotate a plurality of articles toward the transfer assembly. The first vacuum system can draw a first article onto the transfer belt and transports it to a processing station. If a second article overlaps the first article on the transfer belt, the second vacuum system can draw the second article off of the first article and onto the separation belt. If the first article traveling on the transfer assembly is thicker than a distance between the transfer belt and the separation belt, a retractable roller can retract the separation belt and/or the transfer belt to increase the distance therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: Imaging Business Machines, LLC
    Inventors: Robert L. Babanats, Todd Steven Lyter, William Weaver, Gary Murphy
  • Patent number: 7249762
    Abstract: A system for feeding and transporting documents includes a feeder stage and a transport stage. The feeder stage includes a feeder and a hopper assembly. The hopper floor carries the document stack, and includes a flag providing a force to move the documents along the hopper floor toward the feeder and to feed a document with a presentation force. A vibration source means vibrate the hopper floor such that the hopper floor vibration is stronger at the far end and weaker at the near end to cause a dynamic weight of the document stack to be reduced through vibration, particularly at the hopper floor far end when the document stack is large so as to reduce variation in the presentation force at the feeder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Unisys Corporation
    Inventors: Johan P. Bakker, J. Michael Spall, David Brian Tratar
  • Patent number: 7172116
    Abstract: Dispensing more than one card or card like good is prevented to prevent issuing a duplicate with an automatic dispensing machine of card or card like good having a table which supports the piled up card or card like good. A sucking device is located over the table and pulls the card or card like good. A transporting device transports the card or card like good which is pulled by the sucking device. A moving device drives to change the distance between the table and the sucking device. A duplicate detecting device is located at a card transporting passageway which is located downstream the transporting device. A vibrator imparts a vibration to the card or card like good on the table. A separating device acts when the duplicate detecting device detects the duplicate of the goods. The separating device and the transporting device reverses, and the goods of card like is returned on the table. Afterwards the sucking device is stopped, then the vibrator is vibrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahito Yamamiya
  • Patent number: 7150453
    Abstract: The trailing ends of envelopes stacked vertically in a hopper are tapped by jostling members that oscillate in a horizontal plane. The tapping action breaks frictional bonds between contiguous items. The jostling members are mounted on a base plate that is adjustably mounted in overlying relation to a floor plate of the hopper to accommodate items of varying widths. A cam and cam follower arrangement causes oscillation of the floor plate and hence of the base plate and the jostling members. The jostling members may take the form of acute or right angle members, wheels, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Todd C Werner
  • Publication number: 20040051232
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus in which after a bundle of sheets is placed in an erect posture on a sheet supporting stand, the bundle of sheets placed on the sheet supporting stand is continuously vibrated upward and downward for a predetermined time, and is moved in a sheet feeding direction by an aligning portion to be hit against a hitting portion, and the bottom edges and the side edges of the bundle of sheets are accordingly aligned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hironori Masui, Kazuhide Sugiyama, Jun Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6695304
    Abstract: Envelope alignment of a vertical stack of envelopes in an envelope hopper is maintained by mechanically vibrating a preselected part of the hopper. In a first embodiment, the vibration is caused by a reciprocating shuttle having a wedge-shaped member attached to it. The reciprocating shuttle and wedge member are positioned at the bottom of the hopper so that the shuttle and wedge-shaped member support all of the envelopes. The reciprocation of the shuttle and hence the reciprocation of the wedge-shaped member continually jostles the envelopes. The wedge-shaped member ejects the lowermost envelope in the hopper when the reciprocating shuttle is displaced from a retracted position to an extended position. A motor is used to cause continuous reciprocation of the shuttle. In alternative embodiments, different parts of the envelope hopper are vibrated by any suitable vibration-causing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Todd C. Werner
  • Patent number: 6601841
    Abstract: A feeder is rotatably mounted in cooperative relation to a discharge end of a conveyor system. In a first position, the feeder is in line with the conveyor system so that the path of travel of conveyed articles is not changed. In a second position, the feeder device is disposed at a right angle to the conveyor system so that the path of travel of conveyed articles is changed by ninety degrees. An adjustable length conveyor belt enables the discharge of conveyed articles into the feeder at differing positions, depending upon the size of the articles. A pair of upstanding walls having sloped edges reciprocates as the feeder operates to ensure that all articles are in shingled relation to one another so that the articles are fed into the feeder one at a time in the substantial absence of jamming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Inventor: Todd C. Werner
  • Patent number: 6585255
    Abstract: A sheet jogging device includes a compact housing having an inclined front face, and a rack resiliently mounted to said housing along said front face. Within the housing a drive spring is fixed at one end to the housing and connected at an opposite end to the rack. An electromagnet is mounted beneath the drive spring to exert an oscillating magnetic force on the drive spring to flex the drive spring about its base to reciprocate the rack along the inclined face of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: FMC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard Evansic
  • Patent number: 6497406
    Abstract: A document jogger jogs unit records such as checks and like value documents. The jogger has a bin for receiving the documents, and a vibrator coupled to the bin to vibrate it. A liner is adapted to be removably attached to the bin. The liner has an impact absorbing flexible material attached to the liner to absorb the shock of the documents as the bin is vibrated. A thin abrasion resistant, low friction layer covers the flexible material to prevent documents from damaging the flexible material and allows the documents to slide easily. The thin abrasion resistant, low friction layer is also soft enough to permit the flexible material to absorb the shock of said documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Unisys Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Moore, Michael N. Tranquilla
  • Patent number: 6315286
    Abstract: A jogger system to be mounted on a vertical stack mixed mail feeder to provide a vibration, intermittently pushing a mail stack preferably on the outboard side of the mail stack in order to cause the bottom edges of the mail stack to rest on an outboard slider bed and a timing belt on the feeder, and to align the lead-edges of the mail stack against a registration wall. Preferably, the jogger system is integrated to the outboard slider bed of the feeder and comprises at least one imbalance weight rotatably mounted on a shaft which is substantially parallel to the length of the slider bed, and a motor to rotate the imbalance weight so as to cause the vibration. The jogger system further comprises compliance means to be placed between the jogger system and the feeder for mounting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Mark F. Muenchinger, James A. Salomon, Anthony E. Yap
  • Patent number: 6247694
    Abstract: This invention concentrates on relieving the ergonomic strain on a bindery line operator by always loading at an ergonomically correct height for minimum wrist strain and also performing the “jogging,” which is normally done by the operator prior to placing a stack onto the pocket feeder. The signatures are placed onto a lift at the same height because the signature stack support is being lowered automatically until the pivoted conveyor is full. Then, the entire log is pivoted upwardly and advanced to meet the rear of the previously loaded log. The log is advanced through a series of air blasts to aerate the signatures, a vibrating table to align the backbones, and a set of oscillating guides to align the signatures head to foot to eliminate the manual jogging of signatures and thereby repetitive movement of the operator's wrist to do the jogging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company
    Inventors: Daniel George Nonnemacher, Chad Roy Hoffman
  • Patent number: 6224051
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to prevent a sheet of continuous-form paper from slackening when it is fed back in a printer capable of feeding both sheets of continuous-form paper and cut-form paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventors: Takumi Nakayama, Hironaga Hongawa, Masashi Matsumoto, Hirohito Mukaiyama, Hitoshi Asai, Mitsuru Shimono, Satoshi Sakai, Yasuhiro Matsue
  • Patent number: 6146086
    Abstract: An apparatus for accumulating and separating laminations including a lamination storage area; a magnetic fanner arrangement for accumulating and magnetically separating the laminations; a transport mechanism; and a mechanical agitation mechanism. The transport mechanism transports at least one lamination from the lamination storage area to the magnetic fanner arrangement and the mechanical agitation mechanism is in communication with the magnetic fanner arrangement and provides a physical agitation to the magnetic fanner arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Midcom, Incorporated
    Inventors: Shannon D. Snell, Scott C. Reisenauer, Darin D. Baumberger, Rich E. Block
  • Patent number: 6056288
    Abstract: A sheet stacking offsetting system with a stacking tray offsetting movement system with which printed sheets from a reproduction apparatus are stacked offset relative to one another, with a simple rotary drive of an eccentrically rotated extending pin cam which reciprocally drives a simple two part cam follower providing a variable width cam follower slot positively engaging the eccentrically rotated cam to smoothly reciprocate the sheet stacking tray. The slot width is automatically reduced by spring loading movement of one of the two parts of the cam follower so that both sides of said slot directly engage the eccentrically rotated cam at all times. The cam follower slot is also open ended and beveled to easily assemble the pin cam into that open end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Margaret P. Tsai, Bruce J. DiRenzo
  • Patent number: 5934662
    Abstract: A bottom sheet feeding system for feeding individual image substrate sheets for reproduction apparatus out from under a stack of such sheets by intermittently feeding the bottom sheet out from under the overlying stack of sheets in a sheet stacking tray with a bottom sheet feeder, which may be electrostatic, while that stack of sheets is intermittently at least partially levitated relative to the bottom sheet to substantially reduce the gravitational force of the overlying stack of sheets normally bearing down on the bottom sheet to resist the separation and feeding of the bottom sheet out from under the rest of the stack. This intermittent stack levitation may be accomplished by appropriate cyclical transducer system forces applied to the bottom of the stacking tray at a frequency coordinated with intermittent feeding of the bottom sheet out from under the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas Acquaviva
  • Patent number: 5915685
    Abstract: In addition to a separating blade which can pivot in and out and move in the direction of transport at a speed set by the stack pressure of the mail separation device (1) and back again, the proposed system also has a system with two separating blades which can also move in a straight line in the direction of transport and back again and can pivot into and out of the letter conveyor line. In addition, a charging module for automatically loading the system with letters is also provided. Once the letters have been loaded into the two-blade system, the latter moves towards the single separating blade. The single blade then swings out, travels behind the two separating blades which likewise move at a speed set by the stack pressure of the mail separation device (1) and swings back in. The separating blades of the separating blade system then swing out, move into their final position to receive new letters and the single separating blade conveys the letters to the mail separation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Guenther Bausch, Josef Mok
  • Patent number: 5451043
    Abstract: A sheet feeding mechanism for feeding sheets is described including an advance preventive member which is abuttable on the sheet feeding roller by a spring. The advance preventive member functions to prevent multiple feeding of sheets. The sheet feeding cassette has a first sheet advance preventive part which acts on a second sheet advance preventive part on the advance preventive member when the sheet feeding cassette is moved toward or away from the sheet feeding roller, to thereby separate the advance preventive member from the sheet feeding roller against the urging force of a spring. Specific designs of the first and second sheet advance preventive parts may be included to vibrate and rotate a roller of the advance preventive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyotaka Arai
  • Patent number: 5295309
    Abstract: A frame is mounted on driven base rollers for rotatable movement from a horizontal to a vertical position. A platen plate is movable on the frame with respect to a platen plate fixed to the frame to clasp a stack of sheets therebetween. An air table is located behind the platen plates and has a perforated surface, the perforations of which may be selectively obscured. An air blower is driven by a variable speed motor to selectably introduce a flow of air into the air table and through the air table perforations into a stack of sheets clamped by the platen plates. A controller may be remotely positioned from the motor and allows variable control of the air flow quantity through the clamped stack to appropriately aerate a wide variety of sheet materials under varying atmospheric conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1994
    Assignee: A.F. Machining Specialties, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Kozlowski, Anthony J. Trzebiatowski, Perry J. Jewell
  • Patent number: 5292114
    Abstract: An automatic feeder module for a mail sorting system including a cabinet having first and second ends and an upper planar surface, a conveyor belt having an upper run travelling along the upper surface of the cabinet, a drive plate linearly driven along the conveyor belt at the same speed as a conveyor belt and having a forward side and a rearward side, means for driving the conveyor belt and the drive plate at the same speed, and a singulator assembly including pick-off means against which a stack of mail is pressed by the drive plate and the conveyor belt, and a stack pressure switch for turning the driving means on and off to maintain a predetermined stack pressure against the pick-off means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1994
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: William P. McConnell
  • Patent number: 5288065
    Abstract: The method consists, while the ream is applied against a curved surface, in exerting pressure forces against the outer sheet of said ream, along a line of application parallel to the generatrices of the curved surface, moving this line over the entire length of the ream, and beyond each of the edges of the sheets, thereby releasing the sheets. The intensity of the pressure forces enables the sheets to be kept against the curved surface and the speed of movement of the line of application is adjusted in order for the released sheets successively to move away from the remaining curved sheets, thereby reestablishing a plane ream, this reformed ream being jogged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignee: De la Rue Giori S.A.
    Inventor: Philippe Wyssmuller
  • Patent number: 5228673
    Abstract: An opening is formed in the bottom portion of a paper cassette, and a rockable elevator is opposed to the opening. The elevator is rocked by an elevator operating mechanism, thereby pushing up a tray so that paper sheets in the paper cassette reach a position suited for takeout, or getting out of the cassette. The elevator is continuously moved up and down a plurality of times by means of the elevator operating mechanism after the end of paper feeding operation, whereby the takeout end portions of a second one of the paper sheets P and its subsequent ones, which project from the paper cassette as the sheets are taken out by a takeout mechanism, are vertically oscillated so that those sheets are repeatedly curved and straightened. As a result, the paper sheets projecting from the paper cassette are automatically returned to the cassette by their own elasticity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Yasushi Osonoe
  • Patent number: 5092576
    Abstract: A stack of sheets contained in a containing member is loosened at the downstream edges in the feeding direction by air injected from an air injecting device, and fed one by one seriatim from the sheet on top in a predetermined feeding direction by a vacuum suction feeder disposed above the containing member. At this time, an upwardly directed impact is applied to the downstream edges in the feeding direction of the sheets from an impact generating device, thereby improving looseness of the downstream edge faces in the feeding direction by the air.The sheet fed from the containing member is returned to the bottom of the stack of sheets on the containig member. At this time, a claw formed on a feed roller pushes up the upstream edges in the returning direction of the sheet so as to force the sheet completely into the containing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1992
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kozo Takahashi, Tamami Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 5033729
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a mechanism for the handling of and the singulating of a stack or plurality of aligned and substantially flat materials such as for example, sheets of paper, cards, printed flyers, envelopes, checks, business cards, labels, other printed documents and the like. There is incorporated into the mechanism novel systems and assemblies which control the rate of the advance of the stack of materials, which advance is effected by an amplitude or magnitude of a unidirectional jogging motion. The magnitude is a function of the attitude of the stack or the angle formed with the horizontal of the leading sheet of the stack. There is also provided a pulsing mechanism for pulsing, synchronously with jogger belts of an input conveyor assembly for joggingly advancing the plurality of flat materials, the first singulator assembly which pulsing enhances the action of singulation of the plurality of flat material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1991
    Inventor: Christopher A. Struthers
  • Patent number: 5013024
    Abstract: A feed magazine for feeding items for an envelope insertion apparatus is adjustable along three axes and includes a resiliently mounted adjustable floor plate which permits tilting adjustment about a lateral axis, and includes a jam detector for signaling misfeeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1991
    Inventor: Robert E. Stevens
  • Patent number: 4973037
    Abstract: The front feeder for a high speed machine for handling mixed mail, including a nudger drive assembly for advancing the mail pieces while maintaining registration and for fluffing a stack of mail contributing to preshingling of the mail as it is advanced downstream, angled decks and a back prop for a guideless hopper region, a tamper subsystem for maintaining registration of flapped envelopes, and structure configured to guide one envelope flaps along a slot for downstream sealing purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1990
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Russell W. Holbrook