Against Rear-edge Aligner Patents (Class 271/233)
  • Patent number: 8814157
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet stacking unit where sheets to be processed are stacked, a regulating member, a sheet waiting unit, a first moving unit, a second moving unit, and a control unit. The regulating member abuts on one edge of sheets conveyed to the sheet stacking unit. The sheet waiting unit keeps sheets waiting, stacks the waiting sheets displaced sequentially, and then conveys the sheets to the sheet stacking unit. The first moving unit sequentially moves the conveyed sheets, starting from a lowermost sheet, to be abutted against the regulating member. The second moving unit moves the conveyed sheets to the first moving unit. The control unit controls a moving speed of the second moving unit so that a next sheet does not reach the first moving unit until the sheet moved by the first moving unit is abutted against the regulating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yohei Gamo
  • Patent number: 8616547
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus capable of improving sheet processing performance and productivity is provided. While sheets are conveyed in a piled state toward a rear-end stopper, displacement is produced between the sheets by a pair of discharge rollers. Even if adhesion occurs between the sheets during conveyance thereof, the adhesion between the sheets can be removed before the sheets come into contact with the rear-end stopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kushida, Yusuke Obuchi, Toshiyuki Iwata, Rikiya Takemasa
  • Patent number: 8267399
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus capable of improving sheet processing performance and productivity is provided. While sheets are conveyed in a piled state toward a rear-end stopper, displacement is produced between the sheets by a pair of discharge rollers. Even if adhesion occurs between the sheets during conveyance thereof, the adhesion between the sheets can be removed before the sheets come into contact with the rear-end stopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kushida, Yusuke Obuchi, Toshiyuki Iwata, Rikiya Takemasa
  • Publication number: 20120169008
    Abstract: In a sheet processing apparatus that, for example, sorts or staples sheets after image formation, when preceding finishing is not completed on a processing tray, a third sheet fed anew into awaiting tray of a sheet placing member configuring a sheet waiting unit, which temporarily puts a sheet conveyed thereto on standby, is stacked to be shifted such that leading ends of second and third sheets are located further on a conveying direction upstream side than a leading end of a first sheet. Consequently, longitudinal alignment in the processing tray after that is surely performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicants: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Taki, Yasunobu Terao, Toshiaki Oshiro, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Mikio Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8196923
    Abstract: A sheet skew-correcting device includes a sheet-conveying rotation body for conveying a sheet, a skew-correcting member that contacts an end of the sheet conveyed by the sheet-conveying rotation body for correcting skew of the sheet, and a driving unit for moving the skew-correcting member. The skew-correcting member moved in a sheet-conveying direction by the driving unit contacts the end of the sheet conveyed in the sheet-conveying direction by the sheet-conveying rotation body, so as to correct the skew of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisaku Kamiya, Kiyoshi Watanabe, Naoto Watanabe, Kenichi Tamura, Takashi Sugiura, Atsuteru Oikawa, Kenichi Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20120061910
    Abstract: An apparatus for a media feeding system having a trail edge guide, a frame, an elevator, a feed head and a stack of media including a plurality of sheets of media disposed on the elevator, wherein the plurality of sheets of media include an uppermost set of sheets of media located at a top portion of the stack of media. The apparatus includes a trail edge deflector having a body including an angularly disposed lower surface, at least one opening, and at least one stopping surface. The angularly disposed lower surface being shaped to contact and thereby shingle the uppermost set of sheets of media, the at least one opening being shaped for complimentary sliding engagement with the trail edge guide thereby permitting the trail edge deflector to slide along a portion of the trail edge guide and the at least one stopping surface being shaped to limit downward sliding movement of the trail edge deflector along the trail edge guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Brian R. FORD, Kenneth E. Giunta, Douglas K. Herrmann
  • Patent number: 8056898
    Abstract: A pin conveyor for printed sheet material has a chain, a plurality of pins extending from the chain to push printed sheet material, and a receipt area for the printed sheet material, the chain and pins passing through the receipt area. The receipt area has at least one of the following a non-linear cross-section with the chain and pins passing through the receipt area, an inclined transport section of the chain, or a belt contacting the printed sheet material and running at or slower than a speed of the chain. A transfer unit with an overhead conveying unit and a method for delivering printed sheet material is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Goss International Americas, Inc.
    Inventors: James Clyde Folsom, Glenn Alan Guaraldi, Wayne Curtis Wilson
  • Patent number: 7976019
    Abstract: An improved sheet accumulator for stacking serially fed sheets transported on a paper path includes a guide deck. Above the guide deck, a plurality of parallel belts are positioned to provide a driving force for sheets on the deck. Within the accumulator, a ramp apparatus is positioned across the paper path whereby sheets driven by the belts on an upstream portion of the accumulator deck are driven over the ramp apparatus and deposited in an accumulating region of the accumulator deck on a downstream side of the ramp apparatus. Sheets are stopped by an accumulator stop mechanism located at a downstream end of the accumulating region that prevents movement of sheets by the belts while sheets for an accumulation are being collected. When an accumulation is completed, the accumulator stop mechanism allows sheets to be transported from the accumulating region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Masotta, William J. Wright, Robert E. Manna, Charles C. Fuller, John W. Sussmeier
  • Publication number: 20110037220
    Abstract: A paper supply apparatus includes: a placement surface on which paper to be transported is placed; a fixed guide that guides the transport of the paper; a movable guide whose distance to the fixed guide in the widthwise direction of the paper is capable of being adjusted and that guides the transport of the paper; a paper supply roller that abuts the paper in a position, on the side where the fixed guide is located, and that is rotationally driven so as to transport the paper; an abutment member, provided on the movable guide. The abutment member is disposed in a position so that a second abutment point where the abutment member abuts the surface of the paper is further downstream in the transport direction of the paper than a first abutment point where the paper supply roller abuts the surface of the paper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideki NISHINAKAMA
  • Patent number: 7810806
    Abstract: This paper feed mechanism includes a paper feed cassette integrally having a paper contact portion on a position deviating from the center of a rear-side inner wall surface in the cross direction by a prescribed distance in the cross direction and an apparatus body mountable with the paper feed cassette, and the apparatus body includes a driving portion rotating a paper feed roller in a paper feed direction and a paper discharge direction and a control portion bringing the rear end of the paper into contact with the paper contact portion for generating torque for the paper and thereafter transporting the paper to the apparatus body in paper feeding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Takasaka, Takahiro Naito
  • Publication number: 20100066007
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for conveying and aligning sheets being fed to a processing machine, include conveying a sheet which has been separated from an overlapping stream back into the overlapping stream in the case of a machine “stop,” wherein a rear sheet edge is raised by a mechanical or pneumatic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: HEIDELBERGER DRUCKMASCHINEN AG
    Inventors: ANDREAS MÜLLER, BURKHARD WOLF
  • Patent number: 7644919
    Abstract: When a new paper sheet is supplied onto a compiling tray, a sub-paddle holds down paper sheets having already been stacked on the compiling tray until a leading edge of the new paper sheet S touches the stacked paper sheets. Thereafter, the sub-paddle gets apart from the sheets stacked on the compiling tray with timing, with which the rear edge of the new paper sheet falls on the compiling tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryuichi Sato
  • Patent number: 7588239
    Abstract: A transport and alignment system is provided for handling stacked sheet material on a support deck including first and second belts each having a portion thereof disposed parallel to the support deck. Each of the belts includes a plurality of spaced-apart fingers which engage the edges of the stacked sheet material and define a pocket therebetween. The transport and alignment system further includes a drive mechanism for independently driving the first and second belts to effect concurrent and relative motion of the fingers. Concurrent motion of the fingers transports the stacked sheet material along the support deck while relative motion of the fingers opposed edges of the stacked sheets of material. The transport and alignment system is described in the context of a stitcher and chassis module of a mailpiece inserter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Marcinik, Daniel J. Williams, Xavier A. Padros
  • Publication number: 20090219371
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device for intermittently feeding a sheet member on the basis of a commanded feeding amount included in each of successively generated feeding commands, including an upstream feeding roller and a downstream feeding roller and rotated by respective first and second amounts of rotation corresponding to the commanded feeding amount, an obtaining portion for obtaining an overrun amount of the sheet member immediately after a trailing edge of the sheet member has left the upstream feeding roller, on the basis of a difference obtained by subtracting a first feeding amount which is a product of a first radius and the first amount of rotation of the upstream feeding roller, from a second feeding amount which is a product of a second radius and the second amount of rotation of the downstream feeding roller, an estimating portion for estimating whether the trailing edge leaves the upstream feeding roller during feeding of the sheet member according to the next feeding command, and a subtracting portion
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Terada
  • Patent number: 7537209
    Abstract: The sheet stacking-aligning apparatus or the sheet processing apparatus includes a substantially horizontal stacking tray, a rear end aligning unit for aligning a rear end of a sheet bundle on the stacking tray, and a control unit for controlling an operation of the rear end aligning unit for aligning the sheet bundle when it is in an upstream position of the stacking tray, and the stacking tray is provided substantially horizontally. It is thus made possible to increase the stacking space, thereby increasing the number of stackable sheets and to achieve the alignment of the rear end of the sheet bundle with a simple configuration, thereby improving the stacking-aligning property of the sheet bundle on the stacking tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhito Kato, Daisaku Kamiya, Daiju Yoshino
  • Patent number: 7475874
    Abstract: When a new paper sheet is supplied onto a compiling tray, a sub-paddle holds down paper sheets having already been stacked on the compiling tray until a leading edge of the new paper sheet S touches the stacked paper sheets. Thereafter, the sub-paddle gets apart from the sheets stacked on the compiling tray with timing, with which the rear edge of the new paper sheet falls on the compiling tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Ryuichi Sato
  • Patent number: 7451979
    Abstract: An improved sheet accumulator for stacking serially fed sheets transported on a paper path. The accumulator includes a guide deck. Above the guide deck, a plurality of parallel belts are positioned to provide a driving force for sheets on the deck. Within the accumulator, a ramp apparatus is positioned across the paper path whereby sheets driven by the belts on an upstream portion of the accumulator deck are driven over the ramp apparatus and deposited in an accumulating region of the accumulator deck on a downstream side of the ramp apparatus. Preferably, snap-down belts are provided between ramp structures snap transported sheets quickly into place on the stack and to hold them there. Sheets are stopped by an accumulator stop mechanism located at a downstream end of the accumulating region that prevents movement of sheets by the belts while sheets for an accumulation are being collected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Masotta, William J. Wright, Robert E. Manna, Charles C Fuller, John W. Sussmeier
  • Publication number: 20080088083
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are provided for improving handling of sheet articles during processing within sheet processing machines, particularly for apparatuses and methods for registering sheet articles within a sheet or mail processing machine. A registration apparatus can be provided that aligns sheet articles, such as envelopes, by using negative pressure to register the sheet articles. The registration apparatus can have an elongated housing defining a slit therein for receiving a sheet article. At least a portion of a sheet article may be advanced within the slit of the registration apparatus. A negative pressure may be applied within the housing to pull the sheet article into alignment within the registration apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Inventors: Edward J. Kapturowski, Robert T. Snyder, Chris Peterson
  • Patent number: 7296793
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus aligning and stacking a sheet comprising: a stacking means for stacking the sheet or sheet bundle; a conveying means for conveying the sheet or sheet bundle toward the stacking means; a sheet rear end aligning means for aligning rear end of the sheet or sheet bundle upon pressing toward the stacking means the rear end of the sheet or sheet bundle conveyed by the conveying means; and a controlling means for controlling operation of the sheet rear end aligning means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daiju Yoshino
  • Publication number: 20070257421
    Abstract: A sheet collecting device includes a tray on which sheets are placed, a sheet discharging roller for transferring sheets to the tray, an abutment regulating device for regulating a leading end and a trailing end of the sheets on the stacking tray in a conveying direction, and an aligning device for aligning the sheets relative to the abutment regulating device. The stacking tray includes a tray base supported by an apparatus frame and a plate member disposed on the tray base for placing and supporting at least some of the sheets. The plate member is supported on a top surface of the tray base so as to be movable toward an abutment regulating member. A biasing device is provided between the plate member and the tray base to bias the plate member toward the abutment regulating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Applicant: NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigeyuki Sanmiya
  • Patent number: 7264237
    Abstract: The sheet stacking-aligning apparatus or the sheet processing apparatus includes a substantially horizontal stacking tray, a rear end aligning unit for aligning a rear end of a sheet bundle on the stacking tray, and a control unit for controlling an operation of the rear end aligning unit for aligning the sheet bundle when it is in an upstream position of the stacking tray, and the stacking tray is provided substantially horizontally. It is thus made possible to increase the stacking space, thereby increasing the number of stackable sheets and to achieve the alignment of the rear end of the sheet bundle with a simple configuration, thereby improving the stacking-aligning property of the sheet bundle on the stacking tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhito Kato, Daisaku Kamiya, Daiju Yoshino
  • Patent number: 7252285
    Abstract: An alignment device for aligning a manually loaded media sheet to a printer feed path has at least one registration feature disposed to register the trailing edge of the media sheet to the feed path. By aligning the trailing edge, an orthogonal media sheet is loaded into the printer without skew ensuring that the printed image is precisely aligned to the media sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Kodak Graphic Communications Canada Company
    Inventors: Andreas Michael Albat, Dannye Robert Williams, Andrew Mitchell, Gil Rosenfeld
  • Patent number: 7121544
    Abstract: An improved sheet accumulator for stacking serially fed sheets transported on a paper path. The accumulator includes a guide deck. Above the guide deck, a plurality of parallel belts are positioned to provide a driving force for sheets on the deck. Within the accumulator, a ramp apparatus is positioned across the paper path whereby sheets driven by the belts on an upstream portion of the accumulator deck are driven over the ramp apparatus and deposited in an accumulating region of the accumulator deck on a downstream side of the ramp apparatus. Preferably, snap-down belts are provided between ramp structures snap transported sheets quickly into place on the stack and to hold them there. Sheets are stopped by an accumulator stop mechanism located at a downstream end of the accumulating region that prevents movement of sheets by the belts while sheets for an accumulation are being collected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Masotta, William J. Wright, Robert E. Manna, Charles C Fuller, John W. Sussmeier
  • Publication number: 20040251612
    Abstract: A paper cassette for a printing apparatus including a pick-up lever having a pick-up roller at one end thereof and installed to be movable in the paper cassette. The paper cassette includes a cassette body to load papers therein to be picked up by the pick-up roller, a paper arranging guide member installed to be movable in the cassette body and arranging the trailing edges of the printing papers in a predetermined form, and a guide plate provided in a side of the cassette body to be opposite to the guide member for providing a predetermined frictional resistance for the leading edge of a paper to be picked up by the pick-up roller and having guide surface formed in a shape, so that a constant distance between the guide plate and the pick-up roller is maintained along the moving trace of the pick-up lever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ho-dong Kim
  • Publication number: 20040217544
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for preventing the misalignment of sheet material in hoppers adapted to feed sheet material to disk separators are disclosed. In one aspect, a floating backguide is provided. The floating backguide moves independently of the hopper with which the backguide is associated. The floating backguide may be pivotally mounted at a first end and free to deflect to a limited degree at a second end. In one aspect, the deflection of the second end is limited in the horizontal direction by two stationary bars and in the vertical direction by two stops. The vertical deflection of the second end of the backguide may also be limited by a resilient material, for example, a spring or an elastomer. A method for feeding sheet material to a disk separator using a floating backguide is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Applicant: PRIM HALL ENTERPRISES INC.
    Inventors: David F. Hall, Thomas Venne
  • Patent number: 6805508
    Abstract: A skew-correcting media delivery system and method for driving media along a media path. A driver urges the media in a first direction and an opposite second direction along the media path. A substantially flat surface, which is aligned substantially perpendicular to the second direction, extends into the media path such that the trailing edge of the media operably engages the substantially flat surface when the media is urged in the second direction thereby aligning the media in the media path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Jeffery Castleberry
  • Publication number: 20010033051
    Abstract: A device is provided for gathering and conveying printed sheets over a conveying path. The device includes a gathering segment, with the legs of the printed sheets straddling the gathering segment. The gathering segment includes a conveyor device having a saddle-shaped support surface for receiving the printed sheets and is adaptable to be loaded by sheet feeders disposed along the gathering segment, and driven carriers disposed on the conveyor device having a guide apparats to raise at least one leg of at least one of the printed sheets to define first printed sheets without raised legs and a second printed sheets with raised legs. The device further includes a stop apparatus projecting into the conveying path of the second printed sheets and gripping the front edges of the second printed sheets, wherein the stop apparatus is adaptable to be shut off when the first printed sheets are conveyed past.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Publication date: October 25, 2001
    Inventor: Alfred Glanzmann
  • Patent number: 6264195
    Abstract: An adjustable tray for holding a supply of sheet material is provided. The tray includes a selectively movable backstop, and a selectively movable slide plate. An adjustment mechanism is provided that is selectively movable between an automatic position in which adjustment of the backstop affects adjustment of the slide plate, and a custom position in which adjustment of the backstop is independent of adjustment of the slide plate. The adjustment mechanism can be provided as a rod element. The backstop can be movable within a predetermined range of motion, in which case the adjustment mechanism can be adapted to move the slide plate to a position outside the range of motion of backstop. In an embodiment, the rod element is adapted to move the slide plate forward of backstop's range of motion. The tray can further include a plurality of levers, mounted on the tray, corresponding to respective sheet material sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Tim M. Hoberock, Angela K. DiFronzo
  • Patent number: 6203006
    Abstract: A sheet-size and stacking direction adjustable accumulator and method are disclosed. The accumulator is easily adjustable for handling sheets of different widths and for either under or over accumulating. The adjustability is provided by allowing accumulator ramps to be added or removed without having to deconstruct the accumulator and without the need for special skill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Bell & Howell Mail and Messaging Technologies Company
    Inventors: John J. Semanick, John H. Vitko
  • Patent number: 6142461
    Abstract: A sheet processing device according to the present invention is formed of an image forming device, an ejecting device and a stacking device; wherein the sheet processing device further includes an auxiliary support device which is disposed at a distal side in a sheet ejecting direction of the support device. The auxiliary support device is rotatably moved between a support position for supporting at least a forward end of the sheet and a retracting position from the support position. Whereby the stacking area of the support device can be varied, and the ejecting of the sheets temporarily stacked on the stacking device can be easily accomplished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Yuusuke Asao, Takehiro Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 6123331
    Abstract: Sheet joggler system with an inlet roller pair (70, 70'), an outlet roller pair (71, 71'), sheet guides (48, 49) determining a curved sheet path between these roller pairs, a sheet supporting plate (65) between the inlet roller pair and the sheet guides, a sheet stop (72) at the lower end of said plate, and lateral sheet aligning members (66, 67).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Agfa-Gevaert
    Inventors: Leo Vackier, Jean-Paul Martens
  • Patent number: 6102385
    Abstract: A finisher includes an additional-working tray and a leading edge stopper and trailing edge stopper for aligning folded and unfolded sheets fed into the additional-working tray. The leading edge stopper contacts a leading edge of each sheet when it is fed into the additional-working tray. The trailing edge stopper is movable relative to the additional-working tray in accordance with a sheet length. The trailing edge stopper is adapted to align one or more sheets received in the additional-working tray relative to a discharge direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Wakamatsu, Norihiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6092799
    Abstract: A sheet supplying apparatus capable of supplying sheets in a circulating manner, includes a sheet resting device on which the sheets rest, a sheet supplier for supplying the sheets rested on the sheet resting device, a trail and regulating member provided in correspondence to a trail position of the sheet and protruded from a sheet resting surface of the sheet resting device, and an urger for urging the sheets by abutting against the trail end of the sheet discharged on the sheet resting means through a sheet discharge opening to shift the sheet so that the trail end thereof rides over the trail end regulating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Michiro Koike
  • Patent number: 5967681
    Abstract: A thermal printer (10) with a thermal head (16) for image-wise heating a heat-sensitive sheet according to an elongate printing zone, which comprises sheet feeding means having a sheet advancing mode for feeding a sheet with its leading end through the gap between the print drum (15) and the thermal head (16) of this printer beyond the position it should take at the start of printing, and a sheet-returning mode in which the sheet can move backwardly, and a stop (44, 52) against which the backwardly moving sheet abuts with its trailing edge for its longitudinal alignment, thereby to obtain with its leading end the correct printing start position in the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Agfa-Gevaert
    Inventors: Paul Leys, Daniel Verbeek
  • Patent number: 5876031
    Abstract: An apparatus for recording or reading information on or from a sheet is disclosed. The apparatus includes a holding unit for holding a sheet, a first arm which has one end pivotally fixed to the holding unit, a second arm whose one end or a specific point is pivotally fixed to the first arm, a driving system which can integrally move the other end of the first arm and the other end of the second arm, and can change the interval between the other end of the first arm and the other end of the second arm, a posture regulating mechanism for regulating the posture of the holding unit with respect to the first arm, a sheet supply unit provided with the holding unit, the first arm, the second arm, the driving system, and the posture regulating mechanism, and a recording or reading unit for performing information recording or information reading on a sheet supplied to the sheet supply unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiji Ohkoda, Tomohiro Kudo
  • Patent number: 5765483
    Abstract: A device for a format-dependent adjustment of cut-off length in a delivery region of a rotary printing press having a device for nonstop operation, with stops for the trailing edge of the sheets to be delivered, includes a separating band revolving perpendicularly to the sheet transport direction, the separating band being integrated in a frame structure arranged so as to be displaceable in a horizontal direction, the stops for the sheet edge and a sheet-braking device being carried by the frame structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Rainer Klenk, Bernhard Waltenberger
  • Patent number: 5421699
    Abstract: Apparatus and a method for merging vertically oriented documents with horizontally oriented documents. The apparatus includes: a document assembler for receiving vertically oriented documents, the document assembler having a pair of parallel paper paths, wherein each of the paper paths includes a device for transporting the vertically oriented documents and a device for stopping and a device for aligning the vertically oriented documents; a device located beneath the document assembler for re-orienting the documents from the document assembler in a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation; and a horizontal transport located beneath the re-orienting device for feeding horizontally oriented documents toward the re-oriented documents emerging from the re-orienting device, whereby the horizontally oriented documents are merged with the re-oriented documents from the document assembler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Guiles, Irena Makarchuk, Scott W. Martin, James Morabito, William D. Toth
  • Patent number: 5401012
    Abstract: An automatic document feeder having a 2-in-1 mode which serially locates first and second documents adjacent to one another at a copying position. The document feeder includes a separating part for separating documents one by one from a bundle of documents, a document feeding part for feeding documents at a speed which is faster than the transport speed provided by a document transporting part, with the transporting part located downstream from the feeding part. Since the feeding speed is faster than the speed of the transporting part, a space controlling part is provided for controlling a space between the first and second documents, such that after said space controlling part achieves a spacing of a predetermined distance, the document feeding part and the document transporting part transport the first and second documents and the first and second documents are placed serially on the contact glass without any undesired or excessive spacing between the first and second documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Taruki
  • Patent number: 5332205
    Abstract: An automatic document feeder installed on a copying machine. This document feeder is constructed such that one reversible motor provides the drive power for all of drive parts of the document feeder, that is, a document feeding part, a document conveying part and a document recovering part, thus substantially reducing the manufacturing cost of the feeder. The document conveyor belt, on which a document to be copied is closely laid, moves in the forward and reversed direction, thereby causing the document to be exactly set on a reference copying position of a contact glass of the copying machine and, in this respect, improving the operational efficiency of the automatic document feeder. The present invention also provides a control circuit for automatically controlling such an automatic document feeder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1994
    Assignee: Sindo Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae H. Chung, Young S. Park, Seung M. Chang, Dong S. Joo, Young J. Kwon
  • Patent number: 5317372
    Abstract: In a document feeder, documents are contained on a document rest in a stacked state. These documents are sequentially transported to a specified exposure region on a table glass member of a copying machine by a feeder and transporter and are then exposed. The documents are then discharged again onto the document rest. The documents are thereby circulated for copying. When the documents are small in number, the documents are not discharged until a copying operation of a necessary number of sheets is completed, and the documents are moved back and forth for exposure between a transport path of the feeder and the transporter. This design enables the time required for copying a small number of documents to be shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayoshi Nakabayashi, Manabu Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 5308175
    Abstract: In this printer, switching between a single-sheet form feed path and a continuous form feed path occurs by rotating a paper guide when feeding the forms. When the printed single-sheet form is to be discharged onto a table, the tail end of the form is detected by a first single-sheet form sensor. Form feed is stopped for a moment, and the paper guide is rotated toward the continuous form feed path. Reverse feed of the form is resumed and continued until the tail end of the form reaches approximate center of the paper guide. The paper guide is then rotated toward the single-sheet form feed path. The tail end of the form is bent toward the table, and the form is discharged onto the table. As a result, single-sheet forms fed from a manual insertion port or from an automatic paper sheet feeder can be conveyed after finishing printing to the position where the forms are inserted in a stabilized manner without causing the forms to jam on the discharge path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noritsugu Ito
  • Patent number: 5232216
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for sequentially moving sheets into a predetermined registration position with a sheet support surface of an associated optical imaging device including a sheet displacement assembly for engaging and guidingly displacing the sheet along a predetermined displacement path having an upstream end and a downstream end; an abutment surface disposed along the displacement path in spaced relationship from the sheet support surface; and a drive for driving the displacement assembly for moving the sheet downstream a predetermined distance along the path past the abutment surface, then moving the sheet upstream into edge aligning engagement with the abutment surface and then moving the sheet downstream a predetermined distance along the path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: Jerry L. Bybee
  • Patent number: 5209808
    Abstract: An applicator system and method for automatically applying and securing an adhesive backed (or gummed) label onto a corner surface of a typically three-dimensional, right-angle polygonal object such that the body of the label is applied and adhered to one surface (usually one major surface) of the object and one flap (or usually two) continuous with the body of the label is applied and adhered to a side of the object adjacent the one surface. The applicator system includes an applicator head to receive the adhesive backed label, mechanically secured to an applicator arm which serves to move the applicator head relative to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1993
    Assignee: Imtec, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth N. Booth
  • Patent number: 5165675
    Abstract: A control device for a copier of the type loaded with a recyclic document feeder (RDF) and operable in a two-sided copy mode for producing two-sided copies by sequentially stacking one-sided paper sheets and refeeding them for transferring images on the other side thereof. In the two-sided copy mode, side fences provided on an intermediate tray are moved toward and away from each other in matching relation to the paper size. Even when the entry of a paper sheet in and the refeed of a paper sheet from the intermediate tray occur alternately, paper sheets entered the tray can be accurately controlled in position with no regard to the paper size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1992
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichi Kanaya
  • Patent number: 5154412
    Abstract: A switch is located near a pair of register rollers for feeding a document sheet toward a platen glass. A pair of document-feeding rollers are located near a platen glass. When the switch detects the rear edge of the document sheet being fed by the register rollers, it generates a signal. Upon receipt of this signal, the document-feeding rollers rotate, thus feeding the sheet for a prescribed distance and placing it at a predetermined position on the platen glass. The image on the sheet, thus positioned, is copied. An upper roller and a lower roller contacting each other are arranged at the exit side of the register rollers. The document sheets are braked as they pass, one after another, through the gap between the upper and lower rollers and are fed at the same speed, thus reducing their speeds to one and the same speed in spite of their different inertias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1992
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Ken Iseda
  • Patent number: 5100125
    Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for aligning, i.e., de-skewing, sheet material having squared upstream and downstream edges which is being advanced along a path. The advancing apparatus includes a pair of endless belts having pushers projecting therefrom which engage the upstream edge of the sheet material to advance the sheet material with rotation of the belts. The disclosed apparatus adjusts the relative positions of the pushers so that the squared upstream and downstream edges of the sheet material are normal to the path of travel of the sheet material. The invention has particular application to mailing machines in which paper sheets to be inserted in envelopes are advanced towards a folding station and/or an envelope insertion station. The invention has particular application to use with apparatus that cross folds paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: George Uplinger, Walter Wolog
  • Patent number: 5090684
    Abstract: A guide for a sheet aligning station for lateral positioning of a sheet includes a supporting surface mounted on a belt to support the trailing edge of a sheet and a roller extending slightly beyond the supporting surface to contact the sheet edge and reduce friction between the guide and the sheet during crosswise shifting of the sheet, for example by a lateral guiding ruler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1992
    Assignee: Bobst SA
    Inventor: Claude A. Godi
  • Patent number: 5026044
    Abstract: A system for efficiently feeding normal sized and oversized documents into different imaging positions overlying an imaging platen. All documents are initially fed onto the platen from an infeeding position desirable for normal documents substantially downstream from the upstream end of the platen. A normal document is only fed unidirectionally downstream into an imaging position. A sensed oversized document is initially fed downstream, but then, after its trail edge has cleared the infeeding position, it is reverse fed towards the upstream end of the platen into a imaging position partially overlying the normally unused upstream portion of the platen. A baffle normally directly overlies that area of the platen. During the initial reverse movement of an oversized document has baffle is pivoted upwardly at its downstream edge, at the infeeding position, to provide a document guide surface under the baffle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1991
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Randall C. Ryon, Lamia K. Canal, Donald R. Tickner
  • Patent number: 5001520
    Abstract: A document conveyer for conveying a document to a predetermined position on platen glass of a copying machine, including; a document feeder for feeding the document from the outside of the document conveyer to a conveyance roller, located on the platen glass the conveyance roller, for conveying the document onto the platen glass by rotating in the forward direction, and also for subsequently bringing the trailing edge of the document into contact with an edge setting member, located adjacent to the platen glass, by rotating in the reverse direction so that the document is set at the predetermined position on the platen glass, an auxiliary conveyance roller, located on the platen glass, for conveying the document onto the platen glass by functioning with the conveyance roller when the document is longer than a predetermined size, and a roller retractor for retracting the auxiliary conveyance roller from the platen glass so that the auxiliary conveyance roller does not convey the document, in which the auxiliar
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1991
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Kawano, Kazushige Murata, Kazunobu Miura, Mitsuru Nagoshi
  • Patent number: 4940220
    Abstract: A device (1) for supporting a stack of sheet material with zones of uneven thickness, e.g. envelopes (11), on a printer with a pick-up device (16, 17) for the envelopes and a table (10) is provided with a supporting plate (2) as well as bar type supporting apparatus (3,4) at the side facing away from the pick-up device (16, 17). The bar type supporting apparatus (3,4) may be swung away laterally for easy access to the envelopes. Furthermore the device (1) may be equipped with a base plate (36) having adjusting legs (37), for adjusting the device in a horizontal position on a slant table (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Inventor: Lambertus M. Van Mechelen