Responsive To Delivered Sheet Patents (Class 271/176)
  • Patent number: 5496020
    Abstract: A bank note transporting apparatus for transporting externally inserted bank notes is provided in an game machine island in which a plurality of game machines (12) and a plurality of game media lending machines (13) for lending game media used for playing games are disposed. The bank note transporting apparatus comprises a main transporting path (200) provided within the island for transporting bank notes to a destination position and an introducing path (300) disposed in at least one position along the length of the main transporting path for merging bank notes externally inserted into the island to the main transporting path. The main transporting path including an accepting slot (3) for accepting the bank notes from the introducing path. The introducing path including a bank note inserting unit (4) into which the bank notes are externally, inserted and a merging unit (9a) for guiding and transporting the inserted bank notes to the accepting slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Ace Denken
    Inventors: Takatoshi Takemoto, Toshikazu Chida, Noriaki Kano, Eiji Ito, Koji Murakami, Takashi Itagaki, Kozo Sekimoto, Masanori Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5485989
    Abstract: A diverter and on-edge stacker for diverting and on-edge stacking of envelopes comprises: an envelope conveying path; a device for selectively diverting a conveyed envelope by intercepting a lateral portion of the leading envelope edge and thereby skewing the envelope; a stepper-motor-driven spider wheel having legs and gaps therebetween for receiving diverted envelopes; revolving rollers to capture and drive the skewed envelope away from the conveying path into a gap of the momentarily stationary spider wheel; and, a sensor to sense an envelope that has been driven into a spider wheel gap and, consequently, to control rotation of the spider wheel by one gap pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: Bell & Howell Phillipsburg Company
    Inventors: Steve W. McCay, Keith A. Harshman, Stephen J. Gillette, Dale A. Wentzel
  • Patent number: 5480136
    Abstract: In the case of a device for depositing sheets on a stack table having stack abutments, comprises a conveying system which includes a plurality of endless conveyor belts arranged in parallelism and mechanism to drive the conveyor belts at the same speed to convey the sheets separately in spaced relation to each other on an upper surface thereof, it is possible to ensure more gentle handling of the sheets and more reliable and troublefree operation together with operation at a higher speed if the device comprises a perforated belt system which overlaps the one end of the conveyor belt system and comprises a plurality of parallel endless perforated belts adapted to be driven by a motor at an adjustable speed, such perforated belt system extending over the stack table, a plurality of suction air ducts, which are respectively arranged behind each lower run of such perforated belt and are solely open toward the perforated belt, a source of vacuum which is connected with the ends of the vacuum ducts nearest to the c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: Franz Gremser KG
    Inventor: Gerhard Meyer
  • Patent number: 5480135
    Abstract: A device for collating sheets, in which the sheets are offered at an input of the device, which comprises conveyor member which convey the sheets in a circuit arranged between the input and an output of the device, the conveyor member comprising at least a first pair of helical ramps with a predetermined winding direction and each comprising a free end. The ramps are arranged on rotating member which rotate them about their helix axis in the opposite direction to the winding direction. The device also comprises guide and placement member, the rotation of the ramps having the effect of conveying the sheet positioned, by the guide and placement member, on a predetermined portion of each of the two ramps, along a portion at least of the circuit and toward the free end of the ramps, a first of the two ramps of the pair having an opposite winding direction in relation to the second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromichi Nagane, Alexandre Dodge, Marie-Helene Froger, Christophe Truffaut, Stephane Michel
  • Patent number: 5478062
    Abstract: A sheet postprocessing apparatus installed in a copy machine includes a sheet pressing arm for pressing sheets on a sheet receiver from above towards the sheet receiver. When a stapling operation is carried out on the sheets stored on the sheet receiver, the sheets are fixed by the sheet pressing arm. The stable further process after copying can be carried out, thereby making the quality of the bundle of sheets which has undergone the stapling operation stabilize.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Horiuchi, Susumu Murakami, Kazuya Hamaguchi
  • Patent number: 5465955
    Abstract: An external media transport buffer has a carriage supported for linear motion on parallel guide rails between an imagesetter and a processor. A pair of transport rollers is mounted for rotation on the carriage. Two sensors are mounted within the buffer to detect media movement. A first sensor is positioned at an entrance to the buffer and a second sensor is positioned on the carriage on an exit side of the transport rollers. Signals are sent from the sensors to a roller transport motor and carriage transport motor and the signals are coordinated to start and stop the motors according to a predetermined sequence. A leading end of media enters the nip of the transport rollers and is held in the nip as the carriage travels from the imagesetter to the processor. A slack loop of media forms between the carriage and the imagesetter as the imagesetter feeds the media to the buffer faster than the carriage travels to the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: Bayer Corporation
    Inventors: Libor Krupica, William L. McElwain
  • Patent number: 5405482
    Abstract: A labeling machine in which pressure sensitive adhesively backed labels are releasably adhered to a backing strip moving along a path from a dispensing roll to a take-up roll. The labels are removed from the backing strip onto a rotating applicator drum at a first station along said path, and the thus removed labels are transferred from the applicator drum to articles being successively presented at a second station. The improvement comprises a scanning unit, a comparator unit, and a removal unit. The scanning unit is positioned in advance of the first station for reading indicia appearing on the labels adhered to said backing strip. The comparator unit is associated with the scanning unit for comparing the indicia on the labels with a preselected standard and for generating a control signal in the event of a mismatch between the standard and the indicia appearing on an incorrect label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1995
    Assignee: New Jersey Machine, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger J. Morrissette, Robert A. Leduc, Dale C. Merrill
  • Patent number: 5404805
    Abstract: In a paper ejection device for a stencil printing device provided with a lifting member for producing a curvature in each sheet of ejected printing paper as seen in a cross section perpendicular to the direction of paper ejection, the lifting member is allowed to move at least between a first position which is relatively retracted from the paper ejection passage and a second position which relatively protrudes into the paper ejection passage. The movement of the lifting member may be effected according to the size or the kind of the printing paper or depending on whether a sorter is connected to the printer or not. Thus, an appropriate curvature can be given to the ejected printing paper without requiring any manual work by the user. Thus, a satisfactory paper ejecting operation can be ensured at all times without requiring any manual work by the operator of the stencil printing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1995
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Fujimoto, Shinichi Takahira, Yuji Satoh
  • Patent number: 5366217
    Abstract: With a sheet stacker to stack sheets cut by a sheet cutter into stacking station, sheets cut by a sheet cutter are transferred by a conveyor with a fixed sheet interval, a clamping device clamps a base position near the tail end of the sheet during transfer of the sheet, and the sheet transfer speed is reduced to an optimum speed needed for stacking the sheet into stacking station orderly. The clamping device has a rotating device having free rolls at its end and a slowdown roll, and clamps the sheet once during each revolution of the rotating device, by contact of the free rolls with the slowdown rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignees: SK Engineering, Ltd., Reliance Electric Ltd.
    Inventors: Masateru Tokuno, Tatsuyuki Miyagawa
  • Patent number: 5358231
    Abstract: A corrugating roller assembly for use in sheet handling systems for advancing sheets along a path comprising a belt supported for rotation and rollers positioned adjacent the belt to form a corrugation nip with the belt. The device further includes apparatus for allowing the belt to move from a first sheet receiving position to a sheet corrugating position so that the leading edge of a sheet advancing along the path engages the belt and is guided thereby into the corrugation nip which includes the belt. The assembly further includes apparatus for actuating the rollers to drive the sheet through the corrugation nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey L. Andela, deceased
  • Patent number: 5328169
    Abstract: In a multi-bin sheet collecting system for a reproduction apparatus, in which printed sheets may be directed an array of bins for job separation, sorting, and/or user mailboxing, to stack on a tray in a selected bin, the removal of printed sheet from individual bins is sensed to indicate the availability of those bins for receiving further printed sheets by an integral optical transmitter/receiver unit mounted in an aperture in each bin tray in an area to be overlaid by sheets stacked thereon. Each transmitter/receiver unit has a light transmitting element transmitting a first light beam in a first direction towards another transmitter/receiver unit in the next adjacent bin in the first direction, and a light beam receiving element for receiving a second light beam from a second, opposite direction and generating an electrical bin empty signal to a controller unless the second light beam is blocked by sheets in the tray of the adjacent bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1994
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Barry P. Mandel
  • Patent number: 5322275
    Abstract: A bill accumulating storage unit is provided for use with a paper currency acceptor, the storage unit comprising a presser plate on one side of the currency pathway therein and a spring loaded currency support platform on the opposite side of the currency pathway. The presser plate is pivotably mounted to the eccentric center section of one or more cranks having concentric end sections journalled for rotation in the walls of the storage unit. Elongated stacker arms are mounted at a first end to a concentric end of the crank for conjoint rotation therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1994
    Assignee: Coin Bill Validator Inc.
    Inventors: Vedasto Gardellini, deceased, by Maria Gardelline, heiress
  • Patent number: 5320340
    Abstract: In order to select certain sheet sizes or formats for a rotation by 90.degree. in the plane of the sheet, sensors are provided which sense the presence of a sheet on a supply and turning table. The sensors provide a respective signal for the control of a sheet turning mechanism. After turning the sheets are fed in the proper positional orientation to further processing, for example, in a folding apparatus. The turning mechanism also performs a sheet lifting and lowering operation. The sheet transport out of the turning mechanism is performed at a speed higher than the speed of the sheets travelling into or onto the turning mechanism to provide the time necessary for the sheet turning operation which takes place in three steps: sheet lifting, sheet turning, and sheet lowering in response to a control signal from the sensors which determine what sheet format needs to be reoriented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1994
    Inventor: Otto Bay
  • Patent number: 5316286
    Abstract: A sheet discharging apparatus is provided with a brake member which can be contact with a sheet discharged from a sheet discharging portion. The brake member is activated when the size of a sheet discharged is sensed to be smaller than a predetermined size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazushi Takimoto
  • Patent number: 5315361
    Abstract: A printer with a sorter unit allows printed recording sheets to be sorted to a single tray selected from a plurality of trays by a recording sheet guide mechanism that pivots around a shaft. Thus, the printer can sort the printed sheets by page, by user, or discharge the printed sheets paginated or with the printed side facing upward. The sorter trays includes a first detection lever that is rotated by the weight of recording sheets and a second detection lever that rotates in association with the first detection lever. A lever detector is provided on the sorter guide to detect the movement of the second detection lever. The sorter or guide is also provided with a sheet detection lever to detect a jam in the sorter guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1994
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Sawada, Shinichi Kasai, Jun Tsujimoto, Masako Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 5288066
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically loading currency notes (11) into a currency cassette (12) includes first endless belt feeder (54, 56) for feeding notes (11) to an entry nip of second endless belt feeder (76, 78). Each note (11) fed to the second feeder (76, 78) passes over part of the periphery of a pulley (74) associated with the second feeder (76, 78), whereby, when the trailing portion of the note (11) moves out of engagement with the first feeder (54), this portion is deflected away from the feed path defined by the first feeder (54, 56). The second feeder (76, 78) is driven in an intermittent manner, so that notes are fed by the second feeder (76, 78) in overlapping manner into the open top of the cassette (12). Pusher arms project into an open end of the cassette and are periodically operated so as to push notes already present in the cassette (12) into the interior thereof away from said end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: David A. Hain
  • Patent number: 5253859
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for stacking a plurality of flat articles on edge, comprising a discharge magazine for sequentially receiving and stacking the flat articles in a stack, the discharge magazine including moveable discharge support belts adapted to support the stack of articles on edge and a moveable compression plate to maintain the articles on edge. A drive element is provided for controllably moving the discharge support belts. A stacker section adjacent the discharge magazine transports articles sequentially into the stack, the stacker section comprising stacker belts extending around a plurality of rollers.The last of the articles in the stack abuts against the stacker belts adjacent one of the rollers to apply a compressive force developed by the stack of flat articles and the compression plate to the one roller. The one roller is movably mounted to the apparatus for movement responsive to increases and decreases in the compressive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1993
    Inventor: Mario Ricciardi
  • Patent number: 5253860
    Abstract: A finisher connectable to an image forming apparatus for surely discharging sheets to bin trays thereof without regard to the sheet size while preventing the sheets from dropping from the bin rays or from being inaccurately positioned on the bin trays. The finisher has a discharge roller for sequentially discharging sheets driven out of the image forming apparatus to the bin trays. The rotation speed of the discharge roller is controlled on the basis of size information representative of the size of sheets to be transferred from the image forming apparatus to the finisher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1993
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Hirose, Takashi Fujii, Fumitaka Hyodou
  • Patent number: 5251891
    Abstract: An assembly for controlling individual positioning elements in a delivery region of a sheet-fed printing machine, including at least one computer, at least one input device connected to the computer for inputting therein characteristic data specific to a sheet and/or to the printing machine, the computer having devices for further processing the characteristic data, and a control device operatively connected to the computer and having individual positioning elements for causing a format-dependent adjustment in accordance with the inputted characteristic data, the computer having devices for calculating, from the characteristic data, energy of the sheet oncoming to the delivery region and, in accordance with the calculated energy value, also for calculating an actuating value for at least one individual positioning element in the delivery region so that energy withdrawal by the individual positioning element is substantially equal to the energy of the oncoming sheet in the delivery region, the control device h
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1993
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Peter T. Blaser, Dieter Hauck, Karl-Hermann Miltner, Anton Rodi
  • Patent number: 5251890
    Abstract: An ejected sheet stacking tray system comprising a tray or the like shiftable between an operative position where a sheet can be stacked on the tray and an inoperative position, an electrically-operated device for controlling the shifting of the tray, a device for detecting the presence of the sheet on the tray, and an arrangement for controlling the electrically-operated device when the absence of the sheet is detected, shift the tray to the inoperative position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1993
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keizo Sasai
  • Patent number: 5249794
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a feed device for feeding a sorting machine for sorting flat objects and comprising at least one input feeder for the objects and pockets to which the objects are fed vertically for transport, the feed device allowing the objects to be fed one by one from the input feeder towards a vertical pocket. A conveyor module comprises at least two stop gates spaced by a distance greater than the maximum length of the objects. An accelerator module is located between the conveyor module and a vertical transfer device and comprises a downstream stop gate. The vertical ejection device is formed by an injecting module. These modules are provided with continuously operating positive entrainment devices and the stop gates control the movements of the objects in response to detectors located in the path of the objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale d'Automatisme CGA-HBS
    Inventors: Christian Plent, Christian Laumond, Bernard Constant, Michel Divoux, Pierre Campagnolle
  • Patent number: 5238234
    Abstract: A continuous-operation device for the treatment of a leather piece and similar materials, comprising a work station including a roller unit including a pair of rollers and through which the leather piece is moved, the work station including an inlet side and an outlet side, a traversing path upon which the leather piece is transversely moved, the traversing path extending from the inlet side and through the work station to the outlet side, a gripper for removal of the leather piece from one of the pair of rollers as the leather emerges from the work station outlet side, the gripper also for traversal movement of the leather piece after it emerges from the work station outlet side, a drive for driving the gripper, the gripper being operatively connected to the work station outlet side and movably mounted on the drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1993
    Inventors: Werner Kerber, Rocco Finco
  • Patent number: 5217218
    Abstract: A dual auger stacking device for use with a document sorting and conveying apparatus defining a document path and including a plurality of gates for diverting documents from the path into a preselected document receiving station of a plurality of such stations. Each station has a support structure for supporting planar surfaces of documents diverted by the gates and directing the documents into the receiving station. The stacking device includes a base plate upon which lower edges of sorted documents are conveyed upon being diverted by the gates, and an auger assembly operationally disposed relative to the base plate for pulling trailing edges of documents away from the support structure, for loosening documents stacked at the support structure for which the trailing edges have been pulled away, and for displacing the loosened documents into the document receiving station in a direction normal to the document path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1993
    Assignee: Bell & Howell Company
    Inventor: Mario Ricciardi
  • Patent number: 5215301
    Abstract: In a stacker, where a stopper for aligning the front end of the papers to be stacked being detachable within a bottom plate of a paper receiver by a magnetic force, a paper feed means being provided along the paper feed direction in a manner such that the feed surface projects slightly above the bottom plate, a projection being provided at the bottom of the stopper in a manner such that it extends in parallel with the feed surface while not projecting above the feed surface of the feed belt, thereby letting the stopper moveable at any position along the paper feed direction in order to adjust the paper feed depth corresponding to the length of the fed papers, the papers can be fed by the feed belt and stacked without fail and further the stacked papers can be taken out by raising the stopper from the bottom plate while the stacked papers are raised by the projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1993
    Assignee: Tohoku Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Genzi Oshino, Katsuhiko Obata
  • Patent number: 5215300
    Abstract: A sheet stacking tray apparatus for receiving sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus such as a printer or copying machine. The sheets are correctly stacked, that is, without inclination or deviation. The tray apparatus according to the present invention is such that the speed at which the sheet is discharged to the tray apparatus is reduced when the tray apparatus receives the sheet material. And, the sheet is laterally shifted so as to correct the lateral deviation thereof. The tray is lowered in accordance with the amount of the sheets so as to keep a proper height thereof with respect to the discharging outlet from which it receives the sheet. An auxiliary sheet stacking plate is provided operable in association with the lowering of the tray so as to raise the sheet receiving side thereof so as to keep the sheet material on the tray horizontal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1993
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masakazu Hiroi, Akimitsu Hoshi, Noriyoshi Iida, Tadayuki Kitajima, Nobutaka Uto
  • Patent number: 5214443
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically discharging a paper box of a color video printer comprising paper box discharging lever for pushing the paper box toward a predetermined discharging position, the lever rotatably mounted on a main frame of the printer, a sliding lever for causing discharging lever to rotate, the sliding lever movably mounted on the main frame so as to be rectilinearly reciprocated, a sensing member for determining whether the printed paper is received by the paper box, a driving member for selectively driving the sliding lever in accordance with a control signal applied from the sensing member thereto, and an elastic support member for elastically supporting the sliding lever. The paper box discharging apparatus of this invention provides advantage in that it provides the facility in maniuplation of the color video printer and improving the reliability of the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: Goldstar Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ji S. Ryu
  • Patent number: 5205549
    Abstract: A sheet output apparatus useful in conjunction with a sheet post-processing apparatus, and adapted to perform a predetermined processing of a sheet and then discharge the sheet to the sheet post-processing apparatus, comprising: a transfer mechanism for transferring a sheet to the sheet post-processing apparatus; and a communication mechanism for performing a serial communication of data between the sheet output apparatus and the sheet post-processing apparatus, wherein the communication mechanism transmits a sheet carrier speed data to the sheet post-processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunji Sato, Takeshi Honjo
  • Patent number: 5188354
    Abstract: A paper storage device comprises a sensor for generating a detection signal indicative of the arrival of a top level of a stack of papers on a paper support tray at a predetermined height so that the paper support tray can be lowered in response to the detection signal, and a counter for counting the number of papers successively stacked on the paper support tray so that an indication that the paper support tray is held at an improper position can be provided when the counter counts a predetermined number of the papers during the absence of the detection signal from the sensor. Once the top level of the paper stack on the paper support tray has attained the uppermost limit position, the top level of the paper stack on the paper support tray is lowered to a lowermost limit position to secure the orderly disposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1993
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Emori
  • Patent number: 5186454
    Abstract: An apparatus for sorting sheet members, having a plurality of bin trays for accommodating sheet members, sheet member discharge rollers for discharging sheet members into the bin trays, a bin tray lift for moving the bin trays upward or downward at the time of discharge of each sheet member, and a controller for changing the process of discharging the sheet members in accordance with upward and downward movements of the bin trays so that the sheet members are landed on the bin trays by generally the same timing after discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Kitahara
  • Patent number: 5181705
    Abstract: A sheet discharging device has a sheet support, a sheet discharge part, a detector and means for controlling the transport condition at the time of sheet discharge. The detector detects the length or characteristic of a sheet before its discharge. Thus a transport condition of a sheet can be changed at the time of its discharge dependent on its length or characteristic and the sheet is discharged adjustably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1993
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyoshi Ueda, Yuji Takahashi, Makoto Kitahara
  • Patent number: 5172909
    Abstract: A secondary pivotal drive stacker roller assembly for a document sorting and conveying apparatus adapted for sorting documents of various lengths, preferably from a primary document path to at least one secondary document path leading to a document stacking station, the roller assembly including a roller oriented for rotation about a vertical axis and for engaging shorter length documents advanced along the secondary document path, a pivot arm for reciprocally pivoting the roller into and out of engagement with documents advanced along the secondary document path, and a control system for controlling the pivot arm to selectively position the roller for engaging the shorter length documents, and to disengage the roller from the secondary document path when longer length documents are to be sorted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1992
    Assignee: Bell & Howell Company
    Inventor: Mario Ricciardi
  • Patent number: 5133541
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a transport device for transporting a recording medium comprising an inlet channel formed by a first guide member, a switching channel formed by a second guide member and communicating with said inlet channel, an outlet channel formed by a third guide member and connected to the junction of the inlet channel and said switching channel, transport member located at the upstream of the junction of the inlet channel and the switching channel with respect to a recording medium transport direction for transporting the recording medium through the inlet channel into the switching channel and reverse member located at the junction of the inlet channel, the switching channel and the outlet channel for backwardly transporting the recording medium into the outlet channel as released from the transport member after the recording medium is transported into the switching channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1992
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sadanobu Murasaki, Yukiyoshi Yamakoshi, Kiyoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5116042
    Abstract: A document ejection device for a document conveyor having a document ejecting roller to eject a document sheet from the document conveyor to the outside of the conveyor, and ejecting speed reduction device which reduces the ejecting speed of the document sheet after the document is passed through the ejecting roller. The ejecting speed reduction device has a reduction roller rotating at a circumferential speed lower than the ejecting speed of the document, and a pressing panel or following roller to press the document onto the reduction roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventor: Izumi Hamanaka
  • Patent number: 5114139
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image-forming apparatus provided with an automatic original delivery mechanism, in which an original set at an insertion opening is automatically received and guided to a copying position by an automatic original delivery device and after the copying operation, the original is discharged to the outside of the appartus. This automatic original delivery device is controlled by a copying paper sheet delivery trouble detector so that the reverse delivery of the original can be performed by the automatic original delivery device. In this apparatus, if a delivery trouble of a copying paper sheet is caused, the inserted original is returned to the initial setting position by this reverse delivery, and the operation of setting the original at the initial setting position again can be omitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1992
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyofumi Kodama
  • Patent number: 5110104
    Abstract: This invention relates to the sheet transporting apparatus having a sheet storage device capable of storing sheets and provided in the middle of a sheet transport path; and a carriage unit with a sheet discharge mechanism for transporting a sheet to the sheet storage device and capable of reciprocating motion substantially above said sheet storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naho Wakao, Masakazu Hiroi, Makoto Kitahara, Yuji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5103733
    Abstract: An improved printing machine for moving paper sheets from a paper stack along an endless belt to an impression cylinder with continual movement of the paper sheet without stopping and starting. The instantaneous angular position of the impression cylinder is sensed and the instantaneous position of the paper along the endless belt is sensed and an error signal is generated if the relative positions are such that the paper will not arrive at the impression cylinder clamp at the proper time. The error signal causes the vacuum to be applied to a vacuum paper sheet pickup to be turned on and off at varying times to vary the time of pickup of each paper sheet that is deposited on the endless belt, thus controlling the position of each sheet on the belt. The invention allows large increases in printing speeds over the prior art because the sheets of paper are moved between the paper stack and the impression cylinder in a nonstop manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1992
    Assignee: A. B. Dick Company
    Inventors: Leonid Drapatsky, Wieslaw T. Chodorowski, Thomas P. Jachimek, Richard R. Jeschke
  • Patent number: 5103982
    Abstract: A check stager-feeder for accumulating, in a stage, a predetermined number of checks or sheets in a stack and for high-speed feeding of the stack to further equipment comprising a kicker/stop member movable by a solenoid between two angular orientations for stopping and accumulating into a stack on a fixed slide surface sheets delivered thereto while in one orientation and, while moving to the other orientation, for kicking and thereby feeding upon the slide surface the accumulated stack further. An embodiment of the stager-feeder includes a separator-sheet retriever for marked separator sheets fed thereto and interposed in the stream of received sheets, the separator sheets serving to control the number of sheets to be accumulated in a stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1992
    Assignee: Bell & Howell Phillipsburg Company
    Inventors: Douglas B. Walter, Ricardo O. Quincoses, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5098079
    Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for automatically stacking pieces of limp material including an endless conveyor having a forward traveling upper reach. The conveyor has a series of flights spaced at intervals therealong with spaces between the flights. Each flight is constructed for carrying one of the pieces thereon with the piece so positioned on the flight as to have a trailing end overhanging the trailing end of the flight. The apparatus further includes a platen or table at a stacking station along the length of the upper reach of the conveyor and below the upper reach for stacking pieces thereon one upon another and for holding the stack. A gripper mechanism is engageable with an upwardly facing surface of the piece for gripping the piece to stop it from moving forward. Thereafter, as the flight travels forward it moves out from under the piece and the piece is deposited at the station for accumulation of piece one on top of another on the table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: Ark, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles H. Sanborn, III
  • Patent number: 5088721
    Abstract: A transporting device for articles to be transported and a sorter with the same. The transporting device includes transporting rollers arranged in a transportation passage so as to contact the articles to be transported for transportation in a forward direction. The transporting rollers are supported for rotation about an axis which is swingable in a substantially horizontal plane. The axis of each transporting roller is selectively changed by a direction changing mechanism between one direction to transport the articles to be transported in the forward direction and another direction to obliquely transport the articles to be transported toward a side wall. The side wall is provided along the forward direction at an article reception position in the transportation passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: Ikegami Tsushinki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Suzuki, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Hiroshi Tobita
  • Patent number: 5086320
    Abstract: A paper conveying mechanism in an image forming apparatus has an image forming body section of a manual operating type provided with a forward conveying path for conveying a discharged sheet of recording paper having an image thereon on front and rear sides of the image forming apparatus; an after-treatment device for after-treating the sheet of recording paper and arranged in parallel to a side portion of the image forming body section; a perpendicular conveying path for conveying the sheet of recording paper discharged from the forward conveying path in a direction approximately perpendicular to the forward conveying path, the perpendicular conveying path being connected to the forward conveying path such that the sheet of recording paper is fed to the after-treatment device; a paper feeder for feeding the sheet of recording paper in the forward conveying path; a paper feeder for feeding the sheet of recording paper in the perpendicular conveying path; and a common change-over mechanism additionally dispose
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1992
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadao Koike
  • Patent number: 5071112
    Abstract: A device for superposing pieces of strip material, particularly pieces of photographic film, characterized by comprising a pair of horizontal guides (9) comprising two parallel superposed flanges defining a channel for the passage of the pieces (29) of strip material, and further characterized in that said guides have their lower flange (10) outwardly displaceable to enable said pieces (29) to fall onto an underlying stacking magazine, and then returnable to its operating position to reconstitute the guide path for the next piece, and at the same time to upperly retain the forming stack of pieces in correspondence with its edges, with said guides (9) there being associated at least one vertically acting pusher (23) for retaining the forming stack of pieces (29) when the lower flange (10) of the guides (9) is in its displaced position, and a horizontally acting pusher (24) for transferring said stack of pieces (29) out of said stacking magazine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1991
    Inventor: Roberto Signoretto
  • Patent number: 5065996
    Abstract: A movable gate is provided adjacent an input position of a slotted rotatable disk for aiding in the insertion of sheets into the disk slot(s). The movable gate moves between a first position and a second position wherein the first position is closer to the disk than the second position. When in the first position, the movable gate contacts and directs the leading portion of a sheet into the disk slot. When in the second position, the movable gate does not contact the sheet. The gate is moved to the second position at least while the trailing portion of the sheet passes thereunder so that the sheet does not slow down after exiting a pair of input rollers located upstream thereof and so that the trailing portion of the sheet is free to contact an overhead trail edge transport belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1991
    Assignee: Xerox Corporastion
    Inventors: Thomas C. McGraw, Randall E. Van Ryne, Richard F. Scarlata, Cho Y. Sze
  • Patent number: 5064182
    Abstract: An automatic original feeding device includes a pick-up mechanism for picking up originals placed on a holding portion, a feed roller for feeding the picked-up original onto an original table of an image forming apparatus and delivering the fed original from the original table, and a discharge mechanism for discharging the delivered original to a discharge portion. The feed roller is arranged to be movable between a contact position where the feed roller is in contact with the original table so that the original can be delivered onto or from the original table, and an off position where the feed roller is separated from the original table. The feed roller is moved to the off position by a moving mechanism at the start of operation of the discharge mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Akihito Tokutsu
  • Patent number: 5052668
    Abstract: A video printer of the present invention is characterized by a holder attached to the drum for securely holding the printing paper thereon, so that the paper could be closely fixed onto the drum surface to be exactly transported through the entire printing processes up to even its final feeding step without any printing error, thereby obtaining a clear color image of printing in a video printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Assignee: SamSung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wan-Ha Kim
  • Patent number: 5048814
    Abstract: A document orientation mechanism is disclosed for reversing the orientation of individual documents delivered from stacks of multiple documents while maintaining a predetermined directional document stream. A predetermined directional stream of documents is fed laterally into the mechanism from an outside source. Inside the mechanism, the documents are removed in a first direction along a first portion of a moving belt, then transferred by a guide to a second portion of the moving belt which is moving in a direction opposite to the first direction, the outer face of the documents being thereby reversed. The documents are then propelled by a third portion of the moving belt out of the laterally disposed mechanism and back into the original predetermined directional document stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Bell & Howell Company
    Inventor: Eduard Svyatsky
  • Patent number: 5037083
    Abstract: A sheet storing apparatus which is attachable to a copying machine and a method of controlling it, wherein sheets ejected from the copying machine one after another are stacked in order. A detector for detecting the condition of the sheet transportation is installed in a sheet transporting section thereof, and a control section controls the timing of driving a sheet storing section, a sheet transporting section and a sheet aligning section, based on an output of the detector and data on the speed of the sheet transportation in the copying machine. The control section has a timer for determining the timing of driving each section, and the value of the timer is adjusted in accordance with the data on the speed of the sheet transportation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1991
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiyoshi Johdai, Hideo Muramatsu, Takeshi Yoshikai
  • Patent number: 5033731
    Abstract: In a sheet stacking control system for a printer or copier in which sheets are sequentially fed by a sheet output for stacking in a stacking tray up to a desired preset maximum stacking level, a plural mode stack height sensing and sheet delivery detection apparatus in which a common sensor with a common actuating member is actuated by a sheet being fed by the sheet output to provide a first intermittent signal, and this same plural mode apparatus is also actuated to provide a second signal in response to the stack of sheets in the tray approaching a desired preset maximum stacking level. The first and second signals from the common sensor are distinguishable signals, so that the first, intermittent, signal is interpreted as a count of the number of sheets being outputted, and the second, continuous, signal is interpreted as a full tray condition or a sheet jam, and this second signal can provides a control signal for stopping the production or outputting of further sheets to that output tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1991
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: John H. Looney
  • Patent number: 4997180
    Abstract: A sheet feeder in a sheet-fed printing press includes a detector 1 disposed adjacent to a feed portion of a paper feed or transfer cylinder 2 for detecting an improperly fed sheet of paper, and a gripper opening mechanism 6 actuatable for engaging a cam follower 13 to open a gripper 14 to release the improperly fed sheet of paper from the cylinder. A sheet discharge mechanism 16 has a sheet discharge roller 17 movable toward the cylinder for gripping therebetween the released sheet, and a stripper 18 movable toward the cylinder for stripping the improperly fed sheet and discharging it along a paper guide. An actuator 4.5 is connected to the detector for actuating the gripper opening mechanism and moving the sheet discharge roller and the stripper in response to the detection by the detector of the improperly fed sheet of paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1991
    Assignee: Ryobi Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Ishii, Naoki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 4974828
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus usable with an image forming apparatus having a sheet discharging outlet includes a sheet stacking portion, a conveyer for receiving a sheet material from the sheet outlet of the image forming apparatus and for conveying the sheet material to the sheet stacking portion, speed controller for changing a conveying speed of the conveyer to provide a first conveying speed while the sheet material is being confined by the image forming apparatus and to provide a second conveying speed which is higher than the first speed after the sheet material is released from the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Matsuo, Hideaki Furukawa
  • Patent number: 4968014
    Abstract: A transport apparatus for transporting media in various size sheets processed at a first processing station to a second processing station. The apparatus comprises, as main components thereof, a plurality of trays disposed between the first and second processing stations, each for accommodating media sheets of one size stacked one upon another, a first transport device for receiving media from the first processing station and transporting the media to the trays, and a second transport device associated with the trays for successively transporting the media from the trays to the second processing station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukiyoshi Yamakoshi, Hiroyuki Makiyama