Reverse Direction Of Sheet Movement Patents (Class 271/902)
  • Patent number: 5229816
    Abstract: An original image reading device includes an original mount, a feeder for separating and feeding originals on the original mount, a first feed path for guiding each separated and fed original to a reading position, and an inlet for introducing the original discharged from the reading position. A second feed path having a joining portion to join the first feed path guides the original introduced from the inlet to the joining portion while reversing the surface of the original. An original density detection sensor is provided between the joining portion and the reading position in the first feed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Fujimoto, Masataka Naitou, Katsuaki Hirai
  • Patent number: 5222724
    Abstract: Disclosed is a paper feeder for sequentially feeding laminated cutform paper to a record/write portion or the like. Proper sagging of the cutform paper is produced on this side of a paper feeding roller during rotations of the paper feeding roller in an anti-feeding direction, thus adjusting the direction thereof. Subsequently, with rotations of the paper feeding roller in a paper feeding direction, a feed roller is temporarily rotated. The paper feeding roller is caused to exactly pull in the cutform paper without exerting abrupt fluctuations in load on the paper feeding roller and the cutform paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Hirano, Susumu Murayama
  • Patent number: 5211386
    Abstract: A recirculation-type document feeding device for a copying machine having a function of allowing a copied document to be alternatively discharged to a discharge tray or returned to a document tray. In a case of copying several times, the documents stacked on the document tray are transferred one by one to a document setting portion on a platen to be copied, and then, sent back to the document tray through a return passage. After copying completely, the copied documents may be eliminated to the discharge tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1993
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Baba
  • Patent number: 5211690
    Abstract: A recording and reproducing apparatus includes a sheet supply mechanism, a sheet transporting mechanism, an image recording mechanism and a sheet discharging mechanism. The mechanisms are driven by a rotary driver which transmits a driving force through a driving force transmitter to a plurality of rotating bodies. The driving force transmitter can engage a selected number of mechanisms through the rotating bodies to transmit the driving force from the rotary driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1993
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Mizoguchi, Yoshitaka Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5197723
    Abstract: An automatic document feeding apparatus in which a plurality of documents are sequentially fed to an image exposure section. Before the completion of the exposure of a foregoing document, the feeding of a following document is started to place the document on a given position before the image exposure section and stopped thereon temporarily for stand-by. The position of the temporary stop of the following document can be varied in accordance with document size detecting signals from a document size detector or selected in such a manner that the distance between the trailing end of the foregoing document and the leading end of the following document becomes constant substantially irrespective of the size of the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1993
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Yamada, Yoshikazu Maekawa, Osamu Murata, Yoshio Ueda, Masanobu Kawano
  • Patent number: 5193800
    Abstract: An apparatus for conveying paper in a printer adapted to convey cut-sheet and fan-fold paper bi-directionally in a paper path. The apparatus includes a pair of paper conveying rollers positioned downstream of a print head and a pair of paper conveying rollers positioned upstream of the print head. At least one roller of one of the paper conveying roller pair has projections circumferentially extending away from the roller. The projections can be pressed against the roller to reduce the diameter and speed of the roller relative to its speed and diameter before compression to convey the paper in a first direction while preventing the formation of slack across the paper. In addition, the projections can be extended away from the roller to increase the diameter and speed of the roller relative to its speed and diameter before extension to convey the paper in a second direction while preventing the formation of slack across the paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazutoshi Kashiwabara
  • Patent number: 5192071
    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 automatic original delivery means and after the copying operation, the original is discharged to the outside of the apparatus. This automatic original delivery means is controlled by copying paper sheet delivery trouble detecting means so that the reverse delivery of the original can be performed by the automatic original delivery means. 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 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1993
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyofumi Kodama
  • Patent number: 5183241
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a device for feeding sheets one by one. This device basically comprises a suction pad moved toward stacked sheets so as to attract an uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets thereto, a drum rotatable in both forward and reverse directions, a first belt-type conveying system disposed on one part of the surface of the drum, a second belt-type conveying system disposed on another part of the surface of the drum, a sheet insertion port defined by the drum and the first belt-type conveying system, and a sheet withdrawal port defined by the drum and the second belt-type conveying system. The device is also characterized in that the suction pad is displaced to face the sheet insertion port so as to interpose the uppermost sheet between the drum and the first belt-type conveying system, followed by transfer toward the second belt-type conveying system, and the uppermost sheet is reversed by the drum and the second belt-type conveying system so as to be discharged from the sheet withdrawal port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1993
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Torisawa
  • Patent number: 5181714
    Abstract: A document feeding device for feeding documents to a document scanning section where the image of the document is scanned. The document feeding device has first trasnport rollers for feeding each document to the scanning section, discharge rollers for discharging from the scanning section the document thus supplied, a reversing transport path for passing and turning over the document sent from the discharge rollers, and second transport rollers for feeding the document that has been turned over through the reversing transport path to the document reading section. The reversing transport path is designed to change the length of the document transport path depending on the size of the document. With the arrangement, reversing operation and scanning operation of the documents can be performed effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1993
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshio Yamagishi, Youichi Kimura, Tamotsu Shuto, Tatuya Ito
  • Patent number: 5177547
    Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus with a supply roller for supplying a sheet, a sheet directing path for directing the sheet supplied by the supply roller to a recording portion, a sheet ejection path for directing the sheet recorded at the recording portion to an ejection outlet, a guide for guiding a sheet to be introduced from the ejection outlet, and sheet feeding rollers and detectors for directing the introduced sheet to the recording portion through the sheet ejection path and thereafter for returning the sheet to the ejection outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Kanemitsu, Yasuo Miyauchi, Tokihide Ebata, Akihiro Nomura, Akio Takeda, Haruo Uchida, Mitsuru Kurata, Shigeyoshi Onoda
  • Patent number: 5171006
    Abstract: A sheet material feeding device includes a first conveying path for feeding sheet material, a second conveying path for feeding the sheet material and which joins the first conveying path, an anchoring unit for anchoring and bending the leading end of the sheet material fed through the first conveying path or the second conveying path, and a guide member provided at the joining point of the first conveying path and the second conveying path for allowing the sheet material fed from an upstream side through the first conveying path to pass the joining point and for preventing the sheet material fed from a downstream side through the first conveying path from entering an upstream side from the joining point. The guide member presses a curved portion of the sheet material formed by the leading end of the sheet material fed through the first conveying path anchored by the anchoring unit in a direction to flatten that portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1992
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hisatsugu Naito
  • Patent number: 5163671
    Abstract: A ticket processing system in which a single ticket drive cylinder drives a ticket on a circular ticket guide path past stations for visibly printing and for magnetically encoding or bar encoding the ticket. A passive ticket inverter adjacent the circular ticket guide receives a ticket and guides a first end of the ticket into an inverting space while the drive cylinder rotates the second end of the ticket past the first end and draws the ticket, second end first and inverted, back into the circular ticket guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1992
    Assignee: International Totalizator Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: James T. Walters
  • Patent number: 5156386
    Abstract: An invention document feeder is provided with a first sheet path for guiding a document from stacker to below after inversion, a second sheet path branched from the first sheet path in a switchback fashion for guiding the sheet to a process position, and a third sheet path branched from the first sheet path in a switchback fashion for discharging the sheet, discharged from the process position, to a receiver after inversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadayuki Kitajima, Makoto Kitahara
  • 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: 5152513
    Abstract: A sheet reversing apparatus comprises a support in which sheets are stacked, an entrance section for guiding the sheet to the support, a blowing mechanism for directing an air stream to a sheet stack on the support to separate a lowermost sheet from remaining sheets, and a feeding mechanism for attracting the sheet to feed it. Further, stopper plates are provided to be pivoted above the support so that it cooperates with the support to pinch and brake the sheet therebetween in a continuous reversing mode wherein the incoming sheet is immediately fed and that it abuts against the incoming sheet by a portion thereof opposing a leading end of the sheet in a stack reversing mode wherein while the sheets are being stacked the lowermost sheet is separated and fed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1992
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Kiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ogasawara, Junichi Matsuno, Masataka Kawauchi, Makoto Kurosawa, Masaaki Koseki, Tetsuro Takahashi, Youichi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 5139254
    Abstract: Disclosed is a sheet storing apparatus with a sheet tray which is movable up and down. When the tray moves down to a position which is specified according to the sheet size, fullness of the sheet tray is judged. The sheet storing apparatus has a sheet sensor for detecting a sheet on the tray and a top surface sensor for detecting the upper surface of the tray on which sheets are to be stacked or the top surface of a sheet stack on the tray being at a specified position. A specified time after the sheet sensor detects no sheets, the tray starts moving up, and the upward movement of the tray is stopped when the top surface sensor generates a detection signal. The sheet storing apparatus further has a paddle wheel for aligning sheets transported onto the tray. A specified time after the top surface sensor generates a detection signal in a situation that the sheet sensor detects a sheet, the tray starts moving down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1992
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Yamashita, Kiyoshi Emori
  • Patent number: 5136946
    Abstract: In a sheet-fed rotary printing machine having a sheet-turning device including a gripper cylinder and an adjusting member extending in axial direction of and axially displaceable on the gripper cylinder for changing-over a gripper on the gripping cylinder, a clamping device for the adjusting member, includes a preloaded spring, clamping members disposed on both sides of and in vicinity of axial ends of the adjusting member and being displaceable radially to the gripper cylinder, and a pressure bar axially movably guided in the gripper cylinder and biased by a reaction force of the spring in a clamping direction for firmly clamping the clamping members via respective intermediate elements radially towards the gripper cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Willi Becker
  • 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: 5132742
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus having a sheet re-supplying path. The re-supplying path for supplying a sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming apparatus back to the image forming apparatus. A rotatable feeding member is disposed in the sheet re-supplying path for pinching and feeding a leading end portion of a previous sheet, a second rotatable feeding member is disposed at an upstream side of the rotatable feeding member and is in the sheet re-supplying path for permitting the entrance of a next sheet in a condition that a trailing portion of the previous sheet is situated in the second rotatable feeding member, and a controller for permitting the second rotatable feeding member to feed the next sheet after the trailing end of the previous sheet fed by the rotatable feeding member has passed through the second rotatable feeding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinji Goto
  • Patent number: 5131649
    Abstract: The invention includes a sheet feeding apparatus having a sheet pocket with a first end and a second end, rollers spaced a predetermined distance from the first end and including a plurality of sheet-feeder nips, one of the nips being an inlet nip for directing a sheet into the first end of the sheet pocket, and at least one other of the nips being an exit nip for directing a sheet out of the first end of the sheet pocket, and bypass rollers for selectively permitting a sheet to exit the sheet pocket via the second end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Martin, Vinod K. Agarwal, Gerald M. Garavuso
  • Patent number: 5127642
    Abstract: An automatic document conveying device for an image-processing machine including a housing having on its upper surface a transparent plate on which to place a document to be processed. The device includes an opening-closing frame member mounted on the housing so that it is free to pivot about a pivot axis extending along the rear edge of the transparent plate between a closed position at which it covers the transparent plate and an open position at which it exposes the transparent plate to view; a stationary frame member to be mounted on the housing adjacent to the upstream end of the transparent plate; a document table disposed on the stationary frame member; a document sending unit for sending a plurality of sheet-like documents placed on the document table to a document carrying-in passage one by one; and a document carrying-in unit for introducing the sheet-like documents sent to the document carrying-in passage toward the transparent plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazushi Takimoto, Yasushi Kamezaki, Koji Maekawa, Kiyoshige Kameda, Hiroyuki Fujita, Katsunori Masai
  • Patent number: 5128762
    Abstract: A facsimile machine has a paper discharge tray, and a device for shifting image-carrying recording paper as placed on the discharge tray. The recording paper further carries information relating to senders as recorded on a leading end margin thereof. The shifting device is operable for shifting the recording paper in the direction of paper discharge in timed relation to an operation for recording each series of image data. Consequently, the recording paper is sorted on the discharge tray for visual identification of the senders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideo Muramatsu, Munehiro Nakatani, Hiroaki Hamamo, Shigenobu Fukushima, Toshio Tsuboi, Kanako Hamano
  • Patent number: 5121912
    Abstract: In the document feeder of the invention, the originals stacked in the document hopper always show the same surfaces upward during copy operation. Consequently, when an original document sheet causes paper jam or similar trouble in the transport path, the original may be restacked in the document hopper with the same surface facing upward as that facing upward when the original was first stacked in the document hopper. Consequently an operator is less likely to be confused as to the surface to face upward when stacking originals in the document hopper, resulting in improved operating performance. Further, the structure of installing the original feeding mechanism and the original restacking mechanism separately on both sides of the document hopper and bottom-feed, top-restack configuration of the document hopper simplifies the structure around the document hopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1992
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Osamu Tashiro
  • Patent number: 5120037
    Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes a conveyor belt for transporting a document, a document guide disposed downstream from the conveyor belt and which includes a holding portion in the form of a circular arc, and a discharge roller disposed in such a position as to reverse and discharge the document delivered from the conveyor belt while pressing the document on the holding portion. This automatic document feeder can discharge a document with high reliability by use of a smaller number of parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1992
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazushi Takimoto
  • Patent number: 5116036
    Abstract: A device for facilitating stacking of sheets in a hopper of a sheet transporting apparatus in which sheets are directed seriatim onto a stack of sheets in the hopper and subsequently fed seriatim from the stack of sheets in the hopper. The facilitating device comprises at least one elongated member supported at one end thereof for substantially free pivotable movement in a vertical plane under the influence of gravity. The support for the elongated member is located to particularly position the elongated member whereby a sheet directed onto the stack in the hopper will strike the elongated member. The elongated member absorbs kinetic energy of the directed sheet to stop such sheet movement and pivot the elongated member in a first direction about the support and, when the elongated member pivots in the direction opposite the first direction under the influence of gravity, the elongated member strikes the sheet to urge the sheet into accurate operative engagement with the sheet feeder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert D. LeRoy, Raymond M. Quackenbush
  • Patent number: 5114136
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a document pusher plate to be used in an image forming equipment in which a document pusher plate which can be freely opened and closed by a hinge mechanism is mounted on a document set plate of the image forming equipment and a document is fed to the position of exposure on the document set plate or delivered from the position of exposure by rotating or reversing document transfer means arranged at the side of a document feeding device in the document pusher plate. This document pusher plate is provided with a reinforcement plate at the side of the document transfer means at the rear side thereof, and one end of the reinforcement plate is linked with the hinge mechanism, thereby causing warping or deflection of the document pusher plate to be prevented, accomplishing low cost of the production and light weight, and causing the document transfer to be accurate and stabilized by means of an automatic document feeding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1992
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Miyoshi, Mitsugu Shibanaka, Toshikazu Matsui, Nobukazu Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 5115281
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus having a first image forming unit incorporating an image formation processing device therein, a sheet supply station for feeding a sheet to the first image forming unit, and a sheet ejecting station for ejecting the sheet on which an image is formed by the first image forming unit out of the image forming apparatus. Wherein a second image forming unit having the same function and size as those of the first image forming unit is mounted within the image forming apparatus and a sheet inlet of the second image forming unit is directly connected to the sheet ejecting station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1992
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahito Ohtsuka, Hiroo Kobayashi, Toshifumi Moritani, Tadashi Yagi, Yoshiro Tsuchiya, Takahiro Azeta, Tsuyoshi Waragai, Hiroshi Yukimachi, Hiroaki Miyake
  • Patent number: 5090675
    Abstract: The apparatus is for automatically transporting sheets of original to a reading position on a plane member of an image forming apparatus. The apparatus includes an assembly for setting in position or accommodating sheets of original, an assembly for feeding the sheets, a transporting rolling device and a guiding device. The sheet setting assembly is located beside the plane member. The sheet feeding assembly is for feeding a sheet from the sheet setting assembly. The transporting rolling device presses on the plane member of the image forming apparatus to transport a sheet from the sheet feeding assembly by means of nipping the sheet against the plane member. The guiding device is located at a place adjacent to the transporting rolling device and ahead or upstream of it, with respect to the sheet transporting stream, for guiding the leading edge of the sheet to the nipping position between the transporting rolling device and the plane member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1992
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagai, Jun Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 5082272
    Abstract: A high-speed sheet inverter mechanism includes a sheet confinement chamber suitable for confining a first sheet and a second sheet at the same time, and three roll assemblies for feeding sheets into, and discharging sheets from, the chamber. The sheet inverter device further includes a simultaneous sheet handling approach angle of about 48.degree. at which a sheet entering the mechanism contacts a sheet exiting the mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1992
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jean Xydias, Gerald M. Hitchcock, Robert D. LeRoy, James M. Montgomery, Curtis L. Vernon
  • Patent number: 5080509
    Abstract: The elements of a printing mechanism, including a platen, print head and drive motors, are constructed and arranged to provide a clearance permitting an envelope to remain entirely in a flat condition in a plane tangent to the platen at the location of the printing line while the envelope is being printed by the print head. The housing of the printing mechanism is constructed with specially configured slots. First and second opposite end walls of the housing, and a third wall, extending from one end wall to the other, provide at least partial coverage of the print head and platen. The third wall has a slot extending from one end wall to the other, the slot being arranged to receive an envelope and to allow the envelope to be inserted in a flat condition between the print head and the platen. The end walls have parallel slots, meeting and continuous with the slot of the third wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: Addressease, Inc.
    Inventor: Bernard D. Stone
  • Patent number: 5078377
    Abstract: A document feeder is disclosed which can be used with glass-top machines. It fits such copiers, having either a stationery or a moving sheet-support. It is small, lightweight, compact and portable. It feeds the bottom-most page first from a face-up stack of sheets, and re-stacks the copied sheets, face-up, with the bottom sheet at the bottom of the new stack. It operates in excess of 25 copies per minute. Drive wheels feed the document-to-be-copied onto the copier glass and, when the wheels are reversed, remove the document from the glass into a stacking area. The removal of a document from the glass and the placement of the next document onto the glass occur during the non-copying time of the continuously-running copier. The feed/separation act upon the center of the documents. The copier can derive its driving force and energy from the copier or can have its own independent power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Inventor: R. Clark DuBois
  • Patent number: 5074537
    Abstract: An apparatus for feeding originals from a stack thereof provided in a cassette to an exposure platen within an exposure zone of a copying machine and returning the originals from the exposure zone to the stack, either via a discharge path extending from a feed side of the exposure platen to the stack for returning simplex originals without reversal, via discharge path extending from the discharge side of the exposure platen to the stack for directly returning duplex originals to the stack with reversal, or via a reversing path which combines both of these two discharge paths for returning duplex originals to the exposure platen with reversal and then to the stack. The reversing path includes a reversible conveyor member disposed at a common portion of the two discharge paths just before the stack of originals in the copy machine cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1991
    Assignee: Oce-Nederland B.V.
    Inventor: Gerardus L. J. van Rijn
  • Patent number: 5069436
    Abstract: A recirculating document feeder for use with an electrostatographic apparatus for producing precollated or post-collated simplex or duplex copies from simplex or duplex original documents with a transport arrangement which simplifies operational control over the feeder and reduces the potential of damage to the original document sheets. The document feeder comprises a hopper for holding a stack of original document sheets. A transport mechanism is provided for respectively transporting an original document sheet along a path in which such sheet is removed in one direction from the stack hopper and delivered in such direction to an exposure station; or a path in which such sheet is removed in a direction opposite to the one direction from the stack hopper, turned over, and delivered to the exposure station. The transport mechanism is selectively controlled to carry out delivery of document sheets depending upon whether the original documents in the stack hopper are simplex or duplex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Cor Lubberts
  • 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: 5054768
    Abstract: A copying apparatus includes an automatic document feeding apparatus (hereinafter referred to or RADF) for automatically feeding a document onto the platen glass table for copying and for re-feeding the document onto the glass table after the document is reversed. The RADF has an upper roller with a large radius and a lower roller with a small radius. First, second, and third gates are located along the periphery of the upper roller. When feeding the document, the first and second gates define a document path from a document feed tray to the platen glass table. When reversing the document, the first, second, and third gates define a document path for reversing the document and re-feeding the reversed document onto the platen glass table. When ejecting the document, the second and third gates define a document path from the platen glass table onto a surface of the RADF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Ken Iseda
  • Patent number: 5052669
    Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes original stacker having plural stages spaced from each other, each of which is capable of accommodating sheet originals; a support for supporting the plural stages for movement substantially along the stages; a feeder for feeding sheet originals from a selected one of the stages of the original stacker; conveyer for conveying the sheet originals from the feeder to a predetermined position; reversing device for returning the sheet originals having been placed at the predetermined position to the same selected stage; and a driver for driving the original stacker so as to bring the plural stages selectively toward the feeder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyoshi Ueda, Yuji Takahashi, Makoto Kitahara, Masaaki Sato, Naho Wakao
  • 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: 5051014
    Abstract: In a sheet feeding apparatus which is employable in a printer and the like, provided is a mechanism for removing sag of the printing sheet caused by backward feeding operation executed when the reverse line feed operation and so on. Further, the mechanism controls the sheet feeding operation so as to be executed without a disadvantage caused by backlash included in a gear mechanism for driving the sheet to be fed. Thus, the printing sheet is accurately set at a printing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1991
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Takagi, Rikuo Sonoda
  • Patent number: 5049947
    Abstract: An automatic printing machine which forms an image on a sheet substrate has a multi-mode sheet output station in the form of a brush decision gate having a bidirectionally rotatable cylindrical fibrous brush to direct sheets upwardly over the top of the brush in a first sheet transport path when rotated in a counter clockwise direction and downwardly under the bottom of the brush in a second sheet transport path when rotated in a clockwise direction, the brush being selectively rotated in a clockwise and counter clockwise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Fish, Gerard R. Sturnick, Peter A. Sardano
  • Patent number: 5035413
    Abstract: The printer drives the sheet feeding mechanism in response to the initial sheet-setting command and both the first sensor's and the second sensor's detection of no sheet, first forward until the second sheet sensor detects no sheet, then backward until the second sheet sensor detects no sheet, and finally forward the predetermined distance. The paper is neither caught nor crumpled near the exit of the first sheet supplier when the paper is fed backward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiko Yamada, Mitsunobu Suda, Ichirou Kawashima, Nobuhiro Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 5034771
    Abstract: A copier having superimposed copying and duplex copying capabilites and free from malfunctions ascribable to false jam detection which is caused by sensor errors. When a paper jam is detected due to the failure of a sensor, the copier determines whether or not a jamming paper sheet actually exists instead of immediately determining that a jam has occurred. If no jamming paper sheet exists, the copier does not perform any paper discharging movement by determining that the detection is caused by a sensor error and disables the superimposed copying and duplex copying functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1991
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kastsuhiko Makita
  • Patent number: 5029837
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus has a stocker unit for storing a stack of sheet materials, a forward sheet feed roller having an operative condition capable of feeding a sheet material in a forward direction from the stocker unit during each cycle of operation of the apparatus, a sheet passageway through which a sheet material is to be fed in the forward direction further away from the stocker unit, a detector assembly for detecting the presence of a single sheet material or the concurrent presence of two or more sheet materials in the sheet passageway, a backward/forward feed roller located in proximity to the forward sheet feed roller and operative to feed a sheet material in a backward direction toward the stocker unit, a control system for actuating the backward/forward feed roller to feed a sheet material in the backward direction toward the stocker unit if the concurrent presence of two or more sheet materials in the sheet passageway is detected by the detector assembly when the forward sheet feed roller is i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadamitsu Uchiyama
  • 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: 5024431
    Abstract: Sheet transport device with easy sheet jam handling. The device comprises a first sheet transport path which includes a feed roller rotatable in forward and reverse directions and a pair of transport rollers separable from each other, and a second sheet transport path connected to the first path which includes an openable frame. When the frame is opened, the transport rollers are separated from each other and the feed roller is driven reversely. The device further comprises a display which indicates the position where a jammed sheet is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1991
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadafumi Shimizu, Tadashi Ohira
  • Patent number: 5022639
    Abstract: A document feeder is disclosed which can be used with glass-top copy machines. It fits such copiers, having either a stationery or a moving sheet-support. It is small, light-weight, compact and portable. It feeds the bottom-most page first from a face-up stack of sheets, and re-stacks the copied sheets, face-up, with the bottom sheet at the bottom of the new stack. It operates in excess of 25 copies per minute.Drive wheels feed the document-to-be-copied onto the copier glass and, when the wheels are reversed, remove the document from the glass into a stacking area. The removal of a document from the glass and the placement of the next document onto the glass occur during the non-copying time of the continuously-running copier. The feed/separation act upon the center of the documents.The copier can derive its driving force and energy from the copier or can have its own independent power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1991
    Inventor: R. Clark DuBois
  • Patent number: 5018714
    Abstract: An original handling apparatus includes a sheet cassette for storing a bundle of originals, an RDF for feeding each bundle of originals stored in the sheet cassette to an exposure position, discharging the exposed original from the exposure position, and circulating the exposed original to the sheet cassette, an operation panel for setting a desired number of circulation cycles of the bundle of originals stored in the sheet cassette, and a microcomputer (including a CPU) for controlling the RDF to allow it to start a next circulation cycle prior to an end of a current circulation cycle in a plurality of circulation cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1991
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Honjo, Kenji Kobayashi, Akimaro Yoshida, Takami Saeki
  • Patent number: 5014976
    Abstract: In a reproduction apparatus outputting copy sheets via exit rollers to be stacked in an adjacent stacking tray, which exit rollers are also reversible to feed a selected copy sheet still in the nip back into the reproduction apparatus to be further processed, the previously outputted and stacking copy sheets are prevented from being recaptured by these reversed rotation exit rollers, by automatically interposing a one-way gate or trap and baffle between the stacking copy sheets and the exit rollers, to prevent accidental reacquisition of those sheets into the reversed rollers, but which gate or trap is automatically deflected out of the way of a sheet being outputted from the nip of the exit rollers by the outputted sheet itself, without requiring any other actuating mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1991
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis N. Muck, Dennis M. Ankrom, George B. Brown
  • Patent number: 5016061
    Abstract: An automatic document feeder having a recirculating conveying path with a first switchback means between the document hopper and a presentation area interfacing with the scanning exposure region of an optical reading apparatus and a second switchback means between the presentation area and the document hopper, each such switchback means being selectively operable to either invert the surfaces or reverse the leading and trailing edges of the document for presentation at the presentation area, so as to facilitate document handling in the event of jamming and to reduce the size of the feeder. Additionally, the feeder can be used in correspondence with a copying machine having a conveying path with a third switchback means located between a photosensitive drum and an intermediate tray for reversing the leading and trailing edges of the copying paper and a fourth switchback means located between the photosensitive drum and a discharge hopper for inverting the surfaces of the copying paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1991
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Tashiro, Masafumi Okumura
  • Patent number: 5013023
    Abstract: An apparatus for receiving slips and stacking the slips temporarily therein to process them or to exchange them for another kind of slips, and having a stop and guide which defines a transport path for receiving and transporting a slip, a stationary storing section which defines a space for holding the slip temporarily therein, and a feeder for feeding the slip into and out of the stationary storing section. A movable storing section is interposed between the stop and guide and the stationary storing section for defining compartments each of which accommodates a part of any of the slips therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1991
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiharu Hashimoto, Kazuhiko Shibata, Makoto Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 5010373
    Abstract: An apparatus for supplying and discharging originals in a copying machine is provided having a first and a second cassette for originals, a first feed path for feeding originals from the first cassette to the exposure station in a reversed orientation, a second feed path for feeding originals from the second cassette to the exposure station, a turnover path for turning over originals coming from the exposure station and returning them to the exposure station in a reversed orientation, a first discharge path for discharging originals from the exposure station to the first cassette in a reversed orientation and control unit for controlling the transport of the originals and a second discharge path to feed originals from the exposure station to the second cassette. The second feed path as well as the second discharge path are so formed that an original is not reversed in respect of orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1991
    Assignee: Oce Nederland B.V.
    Inventors: Johannes L. J. M. Linssen, Jozef J. A. Pleyers