CA1162227A - Semiautomatic document handler - Google Patents

Abstract

SEMIAUTOMATIC DOCUMENT HANDLER

Abstract of the Disclosure A semiautomatic document feed apparatus for use in feeding single sheet original documents onto a horizontal document glass of an electrophotographic copier. Upon production of the requested number of copies, the original document is fed to an exit tray. The document feeding mechanism is contained within a pivoting document cover which overlies and covers the document glass. This cover is spring biased to assume a generally open position, allowing operator access to the document glass. A permanent magnet latch cooperates with cover and the copier's frame, at a position adjacent the document glass, to hold the cover closed. This permanent magnet latch facilitates manual cover opening merely by manually lifting the cover. A mechanical camming mechanism is contained within the cover and is operable to separate the cover from the frame, thus introducing an air gap into the magnetic latch, and allowing the cover to open as a result of its spring bias.
The camming mechanism is operated by an electromagnetic device which is mounted adjacent the cover's pivot, to thereby reduce the cover's inertia.
Background and Summary of the Invention This invention relates to the field of copying apparatus, means operable to feed original

Description

i ~ fi ~ 7 1 documents to and from a document glass, and latching

2 means operable to facilitate either manual or automatic

3 opening of a platen cover associated with the document

- 4 glass.
Copying apparatus capable of providing 6 numerous copies per minute are known. Such high 7 speed copiers, for example xerographic copiers, require 8 fast handling of the original documents which are g to be copied. To simplify this original document handling, automatic document feeders have been provided 11 whereky the operator could feed single-sheet original 12 documents, or a stack of such documents, to an input 13 tray. These documents were~then automatically fed 14 to a generally flat, horizontal document glass whereat they were copied a requested number of times. After 16 the requested number of copies were produced, the 17 original document was automatically ejected, and 18 another original document was automatically supplied 19 on the document glass.
During this automatic feed sequence, the 21 document glass was covered by a pivoted platen cover, 22 the cover including document transport means. This 23 ~ cover was spring biased toward an open position (i.e.
24 tilted to the horizontal) by a torque bar and was ~5 mechanically latched in the closed, horizontal position 2~ by a latch which included a movable latch member 27 carried b~ the cover, and a fixed position latch 28 member, or latch keeper, carxied by the copier frame 29 adjacent the document glass.

1 If the operator desired to manually position 2 a single-sheet original document on the document 3 glass, a lift handle was provided on the platen cover 4 -to facilitate Movement of the cover from lts closed to its open position. This lift handle operated 6 to move the first mentioned latch me~ber in a manner 7 to open the mechanical la-tch. Thereafter, pushing 8 the cover back to its horizontal closed position 9 returned the latch members to a la-tched condition.
The copier's frame included a document cover 11 release solenold, mounted adjacent the document 12 glass. This solenoid cooperated with the Eirst 13 mentioned latch member when the cover was in its 14 closed position. Logic means was operable to energize this solenoid under various conditions. The solenoid, 16 when energized, operated to move the first mentioned 17 latch member in a manner to open the mechanical latch, 1~ whereupon the platen cover automatically pi~oted 19 from its closed horizontal position to a tilted open ~osition. Examples of occurrences which would cause 21 energization of this solenoid are a malfunction within 22 the copier, the need to replenish the copier's paper 23 supply, the filling of the copier's exit tray, and 24 the end of a copy cycle which had been instituted by manual placement of the original document on the 26 document glass, rather than by the use of the automatic 27 document ~eeder.
2~ The IB~ Copier II is an example of such 29 prior art.
*Registered Trademark DO97503~ -3 ~ 3 ~222~

l In addition, United States Patent 3,642,371 2 discloses a copying machine having a pi~oted pla-ten 3 cover and a mechanical latching means.
4 The present invention is directed to a copying apparatus platen cover having improved latching means.
6 More specifically, the present invention is 7 directed to a cop~ing apparatus pla-ten cover having 8 improved magnetic latching means.
9 The essential features of the present invention include, in combination: a copying apparatus having ll a document glass platen cover; a permanent magnet latch 12 to hold the cover closed, such that the cover can be 13 opened by manual lifting; a ~bias force or spring to lift 14 or open the cover once an air gap has been introduced in the magnet latch; camming means in the cover to pro~
16 vide automatic opening of the cover; and electrical 17 actuator means connected to operate the camming means, 18 the actuator means being spaced from the camming means 19 to reduce the inertia of the cover.
Magnetic latches are known in the photographic 21 arts. For example, United Kingdom Patent 374,219 (No.
22 12,588/31) discloses a photographic printing box wherein 23 a hinged member is spring biased to a tilted open posi-24 tion. This member carries an armature which cooperates with an electromagnet such that the member can be held 26 in a horizontal, closed positlon~ When the time of ex-27 posure has elapsed, this electromagnet is deenerg:ized 28 and the hinged member moves to its open position.

~ 3 62~27 1 United States Patent 3,726,589 discloses 2 copier apparatus including an original document feeder.
3 In addition r this device includes a retractable, window~
4 shade-type auxiliary light shield which can be used when the document feeder is pivoted to a non-use 6 position. This auxiliary liyht shield includes a 7 magnetic hem.
8 Magnetic seal/latches are known in the refrig-9 erator arts. United States Patents Reissue 23,636;
2,252,144; 2,446r336; 2,659,115; and 3,354,583 are exem-11 plary. Of these, patent 3,354,583 discloses a magnetic 12 seal wherein the refrigerator door includes a finger 13 gripping notch and an electr~ic motor mounted near the 14 non-pivoted edge of the door, adjacent the notch. This electric motor is operable, when energized, to rotate an 16 L-shaped arm. This arm cooperates with a strike surface 17 carried by the refrigerator box, and is operable to open 18 the refrigerator door.
19 The present invention is used in an embodiment which, as in the above prior art~ provides a magnetic 21 document cover latch, having sufficient force to hold 22 down the cover against its opening spring bias, thereby 23 holding the cover down over the machine's platen during 24 copying of documents. This prior art magnetic latch can be unlatched automatically by`camming means or by reason-26 able force manual lifting of the cover.
27 In the invention, an automatic electric un 28 latching system, including motive means in said cover, is 1 ~ 62~27 1 provided for unlatching tlle cover after copying of -the 2 document has been completed, i.e. after it has been 3 imaged the required number of times. This automatic 4 unlatching occurs prior to the last copy appearing in the machine's copy exit -tray.
6 The foregoing and other features and advantages 7 of the invention will be apparent from the following 8 more particular description of a preferred embodiment 9 of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing. For a further description of various Eeatures 11 of document feed apparatus reference is made to U.S.
12 Patent 3,910,570 which issued October 7, 1975 to C.D.
13 Bleau, and commonly assiyned herewith.
14 Brief Description of thè Drawing .
FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of 16 a xerographic copier embodying the presen-t invention;
17 FIGURE 2 is a front sectlonal view of the lB document feed apparatus of FIGURE l, this figure 19 being ~IGURE 1 of the above-mentioned 2Q and 21 FIGURE 3 is a front perspective view, partly 22 in section, o~ the pivoting document cover of FIGURES
23 1 and 2.
24 Dcscription of the Preferred Embodi.ment FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of 26 an electrophotographic, xerographic copier machine 11 BO97503~ -6-2~27 1 embodying the present invention. I'he document copying 2 platen surface upon which an original docl~nent resides 3 (side -to be copied facing down) during copyin~ is 4 covered by pivoting platen cover 21. A document ~eed apparatus as described in -the above-mentioned 6 U.S. Paten-t 3,910,570, and as shown in FIGURE 2, 7 is mounted within this cover and is carried -thereby 8 to a tilted, elevated position when the cover is 9 open. When the cover is closed, this overlayable platen cover operates to hold documents against the 11 platen for eopying.
12 As will be apparent from FIGURE 3, this 13 cover is pivoted on an axis defined by dotted line 14 60. Spring force bias means within machine 11 operates to tilt the cover generally cloekwise, as viewed 16 in FIG~RES 1 and 3, whenever the cover's magnetie 17 lateh (shown in ~IGURE 3) is opened, either manually 18 as by ~erely manually lifting cover 21, or automatically 19 as by energization of an eleetrieal actuator or solenoid which is mounted on the eover at a position within 21 machine 11 behind pivot 60, so as to reduce the cover's 22 .inertia. I~ desired, a handle 61 may be provided 23 to assist manual opening.
24 Details of machine 11 are well known to those of skill in the art, and will not be described 26 herein.
27 A eontrol panel 62 includes means, not 28 shown, whereby the operator may seleet the number 29 o~ copies to be made, and may s-t.art the maehine~-~097503~ -7-- !.

l The machine of FIGURE l is constructed and 2 arranged in the manner of the IBM Copier II in that 3 two start bu-ttons are provided, name:ly an "~" button and 4 a "B" button. The "A" button is used by the operator S tv start the machine when the document feeder is to 6 he used to automatically feed documents from input tray 7 63, to the platen, and then to exit area 48. The "B"
8 button is used to start the machine when the operator g manually lifts cover 21, places the original document on the platen, and then manually closes the cover. Only ll when the "B" button is used to start the machine will 12 cover 21 automatically open at or near the end of a copy 13 operation.
14 When the "A" button is used, semiautomatic document handler means operates to transport an original 16 document Erom input tray 63 to the platen for copying.
17 After the requested number of copies have been made, 18 the document is then transported to exit tray or area 19 ~8.
The operator may, if desired, manually place 21 an original document on the copying platen. In this 22 case, cover 21 is merely lifted, the document is 23 placed on the platen for copying, and the cover 24 is closed. Once closed, as shown, the magnetic latch maintains the cover in its closed position.
26 The operator then presses the "B" button. Therea~terl`
27 when the requested number of copies have been made, 28 an electrical actuator in`the form of a solenoid 1 ~ B222~

1 means operates to rotate a cal~ming means against 2 the machine, and thereby mechanically cam or force 3 the cover away from -thè machlne sufficiently to slightly 4 separate and unlatch the magnetic latch so that an automatic platen cover lifting means in the form 6 of the cover's spring bias pivots or lifts the cover 7 -to a tilted position away from the platen, -thus enabling 8 manual removal of the original document.
9 Summarizing the operation of FIGtJRE 1 ' s automatic document feed apparatus, an original document 11 is manually inserted in input tray 63, with the surface 12 to be copied facing down. The opera-tor then depresses 13 the "~" bu-tton and causes the document to be automa-tically 14 positioned on the machine's platen surface. After the requested numher of copies have been imaged or 16 illuminated by the machine's optical apparatus, the 17 document feed apparatus is enabled to eject this 18 document to exit tray 48. If another document resides 19 in the input tray, it is immediately positioned on the platen and copy of this document immediately 21 hegins.
22 FIGU~E 2 shows the details of the document 23 feed apparatus and is FIGURE. 1 of the above-mentioned 24 U.~. Patent 3,910,570 where it is described in detail.
E`IGURE 2 shows a platen surface 10 of FIGVRE
26 l's xerographic machine 11 with which the document 27 feed apparatus of the above-mentioned U.S. Patent 28 3,910,570 is employed~ Documents 12 are fed from 13097503~ _9_ 1 a guide 1~ of ~achine 11 to platen surface 10 whenever 2 pivotally mounted gate fingers 15 are removed from 3 tileir document blocking or preven-ting position by 4 the logic of machine 11. The guide 14 has an extension 16 to direct the doc~nent -toward the platen surface.
6 The document feed apparatus includes a 7 single endless belt 17, which is supported by rollers 8 18 and 19 a-t the ends of the belt, whereat the direction 9 of travel of bel-t 17 is reversed. Belt 17 is tangent to the lower portion of rollers 18 and 19 and is 11 s~acecl slightly above the top ~urface of platen 12 10.
13 Belt 17 is formed of any suitable elas-tic 14 material having a desired coefficient of friction relative to document 12 and platen 10. The material 16 of belt 17 also should have such triboelectric character-17 istics as to prevent document 12 from adhering too 18 strongly to the belt. One suitable example of belt 19 material is neoprene.
Rollers 18 and 19 are rotatably mounted 21 in a torque box 20, which is supported on platen 22 co~er casing 21 by being secured to downwardly extending 23 projections 21' of càsing 21. Casing 21 is pivotally 24 mounted on machine 11, as shown in FIGURE'S 1 and 3, to facilitate movement of the~document feed apparatus 26 away from platen 10 when desired.
27 Belt 17 is driven from a motor 22 (see 28 FIGURE 3), which is supported by casing 21 at a point ~ 3 ~ 7 1 be~lind the casing's pivo-t axis 60. A shaf-t extension 2 o~ roller 19 is driven by motive means in the form of 3 motor 22 through an electrically controlla:ble clutch, 4 not showll. Whenever -this clutch is ac-tivated, roller 19 is rotated clockwise (as viewed in FIGURE 2) to 6 cause the lower portion of belt 17 to move to the left 7 and the upper portion to move -to the right so that the 8 belt can advance one of the documents 12 along platen 9 10.
As used herein, the term motive means includes 11 an electric mo-tor, such as motor 22, or, for example 12 a ~transmission or gear bo~ which is connected -to the 13 shaft extension of roller 19, and is in turn energized 14 by a remotely located motor.
As the document moves down alony guide 14, 16 an entry spring ~8 urges the document against the 17 lower portion of belt 17, adjacent roller 18, so 18 that the document is moved with a high driving force 19 by belt 17 onto the platen. Because of the sag in belt 17, document 12 is in a low force area when 21 disposed beneath be~t 17 and on the top surface 22 of thè platen, although there is some drive.
23 As documen~ 12 is advanced along platen 24 lO by belt 17, t:ravel of document 12 is stopped by a plurality of gate fingers 29, which are moved 26 into a blocking or preventing position by a spring 27 when a solenoid, not shown, is inactivated Any 28 other suitable actuating means can be employed.

~30975038 -11-" ~ - ,s~

1 To insure that document 12 en~ages gate 2 finyers 29, back-up roller or rollers 32 are supported 3 wi-thin the track of the belt, between each adjacent ~4 pairs of gate fingers 29. Back~up rollexs 32 are S rotatably supported in a carrler mounted to casing 6 21.
7 ~s a result of the downward force exerted 8 by the back-up rollers 32, bubbles are formed in 9 belt 17 between each pair of finyers 29. Each of the bubbles in a pro-trusion of the belt so that 11 tlle belt pushes document 12 downwardly against platen 12 10. As a result, the leadlng edge of document 12 .l3 enyages gate fingers 29 to stop the document on the 14 platen at the reproduction or copying position. Further-more, back-up rollers 32 provide a positive drlving 16 force on document 12 from belt 17 at this point when 17 gate fingers 2g are removed from their blocking or 18 preventiny position to allow the document to be fed 19 from the platen to tray 48.
When gate fingers 29 are pulled downwardly, 21 due to solenoid ac-tivation, activation of xoller 22 19 and its clutch causes the document to be fed from 23 the platen. To prevent the document from Eollowing 24 the travel or path of the belt, as the belt wraps around drive roller ].9 to reverse its direction o~
26 travel in its upper portion, a plurality of rollers 27 41 are supported in spaced relation along shaft 28 42.

BO975~38 -12-s: ~

l l~ollc--s ql, wllicll are prefera~ly formecl o~ a ligllt weigllt pldstic havillcJ a low spr:in~J rate, 3 SUC}l as l:~olyuret~lane ~oalll for exLImple~ are driven 9 i.n the same cli.re(tion and by tlle same mechclllisnl-tllat drives rol.ler 19. Speci~ically, shaft 42 has a pulley 6 mountc~d 'hereoll for driving enyagement Wit}l a timing 7 belt, whicll passe~s arouncl a pulley on tlle shaft 3 extensioll o.~ roller 19. 'l'lle pulley for shaft 42 9 is oE a sma.ller diametcr than the l~ulley for roller 19, so that the periuheral sL?eec3 o~ rollers 91 is 11 (Jrea-ker thall the peri.~lleral speecl:oE roller 19 or 12 l~elt 17. l`h:is ai.cls in aclvallcilltJ the cloc:umellt away 13 from the belt and between rolle~rs 4l. and resiliently 14 biasecl plate 46.
1.5 ~s tlle leading edge of documellt 12 passes 16 tllrough the nip ~ormed between roIlers 91 and plate .
17 fiG, a switcll actuator 49, Wllicll i.s pivotally mounted 18 on casin(J 21 througll rod 4B' is rnoved clockwlse 1~ to have a portioll ~9'ellcJacJe an arm 50 of a switch 51 to cause tlle switch to close. 'l'he closing o~
21 switch 51 supplies a sigllal to the logic for machine 22 11. '~'his results in the above-lllentionec~ solenoid 23 being inactivated so that cJate fincJers 29 are returned 2~ to their blockillg position by sprinc3 bias. In addition, c3ate fillgers 15 are pi.votal3.y,moved out of their 26 bl.ockincJ position i~ there is another documellt 12 27 in gui.c3e lq, a~iti.ng trans~)ort to platen IO.
2B 'l'llus, the feecl of document 12 from guide 2~ 1~1 st:arl:s l)e~OLe thc dOCUlllellt Oll tllC' ~?latt'll iS Coml?lt!t:ely l30~7~03~ -13-, 22~7 1 removed therefrom. If there is no document in the 2 guide, and in engagemen-t with gate fingers 15, then 3 when the trailing edge of a document passes beyond 4 switch actuator 49, switch 51 causes the shaft extension S of roller 19 to be disconnected :Erom the motor so 6 that roller 19 and rollers 41 are no longer driven, 7 whereupon belt 17 stops.
8 Upon completion of copying of a document 9 12 on platen 10, the logic of machine 11 causes energiza-tion of a solenoid to lower ga-te fingers 29. Then, 11 after a predeter~lined time delay, roller 19 i.s dri.ven 12 to advance the doc~unent from the platen to the nip 13 between rollers 41 and resiliently biased plate 46.
14 Back-up rollers 32 exert a drivin~ force through belt 17 to the document as the belt is driven by 16 roller 19.
17 As the leading edge of the document passes 18 the nip between resiliently biased plate 46 and rollers 19 41, switch actuator 49 is moved by the document to cause closing of switch 51. As a result, the logic 21 of machine 11 causes deenergization of the gate solenoid 22 so that the spring bias moves gate fingers 29 upwardly.
23 A-t this time, gate fingers 15 are pivoted downwardly 24 if another documen-t 12 is in guide 14. If a document is not in guide 1~, switch 51, which is actuated 26 by the trailing edge of the docwment leavlng platen 27 10 as it passes through switch actuator 49, stops 28 belt 17 and rollers 41. If another docwnent is r.~o9 7so3a 1 1 ~2227 1 entering onto the platen from guide 14, a switch 2 on guide 14 stops belt 17 and rollers 41 by supplying 3 a signal to the logic of machine 11.
4 As a document 12 exits through the nip between rollers 41 and plate 46, the document has 6 a tendency to wrap around rollers 41 under conditions 7 such as when the document is extremely curled or 8 wrinkled, or when the document is electrostatically 9 charged, for example. To prevent this, fingers 52 on plate 53, which is carried by casing 21, are interposed 11 between rollers 41.
12 FIGURE 3 shows the overlayable platen cover 13 21 of FIGURES 1 and 2, partly in section. The pivoting 14 axis 60 of this document cover is defined by a pair of extending posts 70, one of which is-shown. These 16 posts seat within brackets contained within FIGUR~
17 l's housing 71, such that the cover may be moved 18 from its horizontal, closed position to a tilted 19 open position, as the cover rotates in a generally clocXwise direction. .Also, contained within the 21 machine's housing portion 71 is an extending platform 22 support means 72. This platform is substantially ~:
23 hidden from view, within housing 71, when the cover 24 is supported in the machine's pivot brackets. ~s can be seen from FIGURE 3, the document feeding apparatus 26 of FIGURE 2 is supported to the front of pivot axis 60 27 whereas motive means 22, which is opexable`to supply 28 motive power to the document feed means, is mounted -to ~ 1 ~22~7 1 the opposite side of pivot axis 60 from the machine ~ platen. This mounting position of the motive means 3 operates to counterbalance the weigh-t of the document 4 feed and reduce the inertia o~ the platen cover.
A description of motive means 22 and its operative 6 connection to the document feed apparatus is described 7 in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent ~,910,570.
8 ~s used herein the term inertia is intended 9 to mean the mass movement of inertia of a body, i.e.
its resistance to rotational acceleration. Jus-t as 11 the mass of a body is a measure of the resistance to 12 translational acceleration, the movement of inertia :is 13 a measure of resistance to rotational accelera-tion due 14 to the mass or iner-tia of the body. IE all the mass, m, were concentrated at a distance, d, from the axis 16 of rota-tion, the movement of inertia would be d2m.
17 Platform support means 72 also includes 18 a sector segment 73 which cooperates with a metal 19 cable 74 and a spring 75 to constitute automa-tic platen cover lifting means. Spring 75 has its lower 21 end connected to a portion of the frame of machine 22 11 and is operable to exert a clockwise rotating 23 ;force on the platen cover. If desired, sector 73 24 may be placed at the left-hand side of the platen cover, or at the right-hand side, as shown, or such 26 a sector and spring may be provided at each side 27 of the platen cover. `
28 A permanent magnet platen cover latching 29 means is provided to retain the cover in -the horizontal BO97503a -16-1 1 ~2227 1 closed position, over the machine's platen, once 2 the cover has been manually placed in this closed 3 position. This construction enables manual unlatch-4 ing or opening of the cover r merely by manually lifting the cover in a clockwlse direction about pivot axis 6 60. As shown, the permanent magnet latching means 7 includes at least one permanent magnet 76 which is 8 mounted in the cover and cooperates with a magnetically 9 attractable material area 77. Area 77 comprises a strip of magnetically permeable material which ll is mounted on machine ll adjacent and in substantially 12 the same plane as the platen. Area 77 is magnetically 13 engaged by maynet 76 when the CQVer is closed. The 14 placing of magnet 76 and area 77 is not critical.
If desired, they may be placed more to the center 16 of the eover than shown, or may be placed to the 17 right of center.
18 A rotatable cam, in the form of roller l9 78, is electrically driven by soIenoid 79 through an elongate conneeting means in the foIm of rod 21 80. Electrical energization of solenoid means 79 22 is operable to rotate rod 80 in a countercloakwise 23 direction, as vlewed from the front of -the machine, 24 and thersby forceably cam cover 21 away from the machine, sufficiently to slightly separate magnet 26 76 from area 77, whereupon the automatic cover lifting 27 means in the form of spring 75 causes the cover to 28 pivot about axis 60, lifting the cover away from 29 the platen.

~ ~ ~2227 1 Solenoid 79 ls energi~ed in the same manner 2 as is the document cover release solenoid of the IBM
3 Copier II. In this copier, the cover release solenoid 4 is energized after the document on the machine platen has been imaged for the last time, but before the last 6 copy of this document appears in the machine's copy 7 exit tray. Reference may be had to the IBM Copier II, 8 and the Service Manual for the IBM Copier II, form 9 number 241-5705-0, dated August 1972, Eor a more complete understanding and description of means for energizing 11 this solenoid.
12 While the invention has been particularly shown 13 and described with reference~to a preferred embodiment 14 thereoE, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be 16 mad~.thereln without departing from the spirit and.scope 17 of the invention.
18 ~,.re-n~

,~
'

Claims (13)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS;

1. In a copying apparatus with a document copying platen and an overlayable platen cover holding documents against the platen for copying, the improvement comprising:
platen cover latching means for retaining said platen cover over said platen for the copying of documents on said platen, said latching means comprising a permanent magnetic latch between said platen cover and said copying apparatus which can be manually unlatched merely by manual lifting of said platen cover, said latching means including automatic unlatching means for automatically unlatching said platen cover subsequently to the completion of said copying of documents on said platen, said copying apparatus further including automatic platen cover lifting means for automatically lifting said platen cover away from said platen when said latching means is unlatched, and wherein said automatic unlatching means comprises electrically driven mechanical camming means forcibly camming said platen cover away from said copying apparatus sufficiently to slightly separate and unlatch said permanent magnetic latch so that said automatic platen cover lifting means lifts said platen cover away from said platen subsequent to the completion of said copying of documents on said platen, wherein said camming means is a rotatable cam in said platen cover, and wherein said electrical unlatching means comprises electrical solenoid means in said platen cover substantially spaced from said camming means for reducing the inertia of said platen cover operatively connected to said camming means by elongate connecting means to rotate said camming means against said copying apparatus.

2. In a copying apparatus with a document copying platen and an overlayable platen cover for holding documents against the platen for copying, the improvement comprising:
platen cover latching means for retaining said platen cover over said platen for the copying of documents on said platen, said latching means comprising a permanent magnetic latch between said platen cover and said copying apparatus which can be manually unlatched merely by manual lifting of said platen cover, said latching means including automatic unlatching means for automatically unlatching said platen cover subsequently to the completion of said copying of documents on said platen, said copying apparatus further including automatic platen cover lifting means for automatically lifting said platen cover away from said platen when said latching means is unlatched;
wherein said automatic unlatching means comprises an electrically actuated camming means forcibly camming said platen cover away from said copying apparatus sufficiently to slightly separate and unlatch said permanent magnetic latch; and wherein said automatic platen cover lifting means comprises spring means connecting to said platen cover and having sufficient spring force to lift and hold said platen cover substantially away from said platen upon the unlatching of said platen cover latching means either manually or by said automatic unlatching means; and wherein said camming means is a rotatable cam in said platen cover spaced from said spring means, and wherein said electrical unlatching means comprises electrical solenoid means in said platen cover substantially spaced from said camming means for reducing the inertia of said platen cover, opera-tively connected to said camming means by elongate connecting means to rotate said camming means against said copying apparatus.

3. In a copying apparatus with a document copying platen and an overlayable platen cover holding documents against the platen for copying, the improvement comprising:
platen cover latching means for retaining said platen cover over said platen for the copying of documents on said platen, said latching means comprising a permanent magnetic latch between said platen cover and said :
copying apparatus which can be manually unlatched merely by manual lifting of said platen cover, said latching means including automatic unlatching means for automatically unlatching said platen cover subsequently to the completion of said copying of documents on said platen, said copying apparatus further including automatic platen cover lifting means for automatically lifting said platen cover away from said platen when said latching means is unlatched, and wherein said automatic unlatching means comprises electrically driven mechanical camming means forcibly camming said platen cover away from said copying apparatus sufficiently to slightly separate and unlatch said permanent magnetic latch so that said automatic platen cover lifting means lifts said platen cover away from said platen subsequent to the completion of said copying of documents on said platen, substantially horizontal axis pivot means for said platen cover positioned to one side of said platen, support means connected as an extension of said platen cover and extending on the other side of said pivot means from said platen, document feed means mounted within said platen cover and overlaying said platen, and motive means connected to drive said document feed means, said motive means being mounted on said support means to tend to counterbalance the weight of said document feed means and reduce the inertia of said platen cover.

4. The copying apparatus of Claim 3 wherein said latching means is at least one permanent magnet in said platen cover and a magnetically attractable material area on said copying apparatus adjacent said platen and magnetically engaged by said permanent magnet when said platen cover is pulled against said platen.

5. The copying apparatus of Claim 4 wherein said camming means is a rotatable cam in said platen cover, and wherein said electrical unlatching means comprises electrical solenoid means, said solenoid means being mounted on said support means to tend to counterbalance the weight of said document feed means and to reduce the inertia of said platen cover, and elongate connecting means connecting said solenoid means to said camming means to rotate said camming means against said copying apparatus.

6. The copying apparatus of Claim 5 wherein said pivot means and said support means are contained within a housing portion of the copying apparatus, whereas said platen cover extends without said housing portion.

7. The copying apparatus of Claim 2 including pivot means for mounting said platen cover for tilting motion about a substantially horizontal axis, platform support means formed as an extension of said platen cover and extending on the other side of said axis from said platen, movable document feed means mounted within said platen cover and overlaying said platen for holding documents against said platen for copying, and motive means for driving said document feed means, said motive means being mounted on said support means so as to tend to counterbalance the weight of said document feed means and reduce the inertia of said platen cover.

8. The copying apparatus of Claim 7 wherein said electrical solenoid means is mounted on said support means.

9. The copying apparatus of Claim 8 wherein said pivot means and said platform support means are covered by a housing portion of the copying apparatus, whereas said platen cover extends beyond said pivot means to the exterior of said housing portion.

BO975038 -26- ###

10. In an apparatus with a document supporting platen adaptable for making copies of said document and an overlayable platen cover holding documents against the platen, the improvement comprising:
platen cover latching means for retaining said platen cover over said platen for the holding of documents on said platen, said latching means comprising a permanent magnetic latch between said platen cover and said apparatus which can be manually unlatched merely by manual lifting of said platen cover, said latching means including unlatching means adaptable for automatically unlatching said platen cover subsequently to the completion of copying of documents on said platen, said apparatus further including automatic platen cover lifting means for automatically lifting said platen cover away from said platen when said latching means is unlatched, and wherein said unlatching means comprises electrically driven mechanical camming means forcibly camming said platen cover away from said apparatus sufficiently to slightly separate and unlatch said permanent magnetic latch so that said automatic platen cover lifting means lifts said platen cover away from said platen subsequent to the completion of copying of documents on said platen, wherein said camming means is a rotatable cam in said platen cover, and wherein said electrical unlatching means comprises electrical solenoid means in said platen cover substantially spaced from said camming means for reducing the inertia of said platen cover operatively connected to said camming means by elongate connecting means to rotate said camming means against said apparatus.

11. In an apparatus with a document supporting platen adaptable for making copies of said document and an overlayable platen cover for holding documents against the platen, the improvement comprising:
platen cover latching means for retaining said platen cover over said platen for the holding of documents on said platen, said latching means comprising a permanent magnetic latch between said platen cover and said apparatus which can be manually unlatched merely by manual lifting of said platen cover, said latching means including unlatching means adaptable for automatically unlatching said platen cover subsequently to the completion of copying of documents on said platen, said apparatus further including automatic platen cover lifting means. for automatically lifting said platen cover away from said platen when said latching means is unlatched, wherein said unlatching means comprises an electrically actuated camming means forcibly camming said platen cover away from said apparatus sufficiently to slightly separate and unlatch said permanent magnetic latch;
and wherein said automatic platen cover lifting means comprises spring means connecting to said platen cover and having sufficient spring force to lift and hold said platen cover substantially away from said platen upon the unlatching of said platen cover latching means either manually or by said unlatching means;
and wherein said camming means is a rotatable cam in said platen cover spaced from said spring means;
and wherein said electrical unlatching means comprises electrical solenoid means in said platen cover substantially spaced from said camming means for reducing the inertia of said platen cover, operatively connected to said camming means by elongate connecting means to rotate said camming means against said apparatus.

12. In a copying apparatus with a document copying platen and an overlayable platen cover holding docu-ments against the platen for copying, the improvement comprising:
platen cover latching means for retaining said platen cover over said platen for the copying of documents on said platen, said latching means comprising a permanent magnetic latch between said platen cover and said copying apparatus which can be manually unlatched merely by manual lifting of said platen cover, said latching means including automatic unlatching means for automatically unlatching said platen cover sub-sequently to the completion of said copying of documents on said platen, said copying apparatus further including automatic platen cover lifting means for automatically lifting said platen cover away from said platen when said latching means is unlatched, and wherein said automatic unlatching means comprises electrically driven mechanical camming means forcibly camming said platen cover away from said copying apparatus sufficiently to slightly separate and unlatch said permanent magnetic latch so that said automatic platen cover lifting means lifts said platen cover away from said platen sub-sequent to the completion of said copying of documents on said platen.

13. The copying apparatus of claim 12 wherein said latching means is at least one permanent magnet in said platen cover and a magnetically attractable material area on said copying apparatus adjacent said platen and magnetically engaged by said permanent magnet when said platen cover is pulled against said platen.