GB1112125A - Document copying apparatus stripping mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

1,112,125. Sheet separating apparatus. GEVAERT-AGFA N.V. 28 July, 1965 [30 July, 1964], No. 32320/65. Heading B6H. [Also in Division G2] Two sheets 10, 11 lying in contact are separated by passing them between conveyer rollers 12, 13 (Fig. 1b until the leading edge trips a microswitch 14, which causes the lower roller 13 to stop, and the upper roller 12 to rotate in the reverse direction (Fig. 1c). This drags upper sheet 10 back in a direction opposite to that of its previous travel, so that it forms a loop 15, the sheet eventually passing entirely above roller 12 (Fig. 1d, not shown). Fig. 2 is the actual arrangement of the apparatus. The exposed light-sensitive sheet 11 and the image-receiving sheet 10 are led through the bath 21 of processing liquid, and then pressed together between rollers 23, 24 to effect an image transfer. The two sheets, adhering together, are guided towards rollers 25, 26, which are caused to rotate by a motor-driven roller 27 rotating anticlockwise. Roller 26 is a hollow cylinder having a rubber covering 33, and rotates freely on a stationary shaft 34. Roller 26 carries a pawl 35 which rotates with it, the pawl engaging a ratchetwheel 36 fast with shaft 34. Thus roller 26 is prevented from rotating other than clockwise. The sheets are guided round roller 26 by a set of fingers 47, which can be alternated between a forward position and a retracted position by the mechanism of Fig. 3 (not shown). As the sheets pass round roller 26, and then between rollers 26, 27, the leading edge eventually encounters a microswitch 60 which, by means of the circuit arrangement of Fig. 5 (not shown), reverses the rotation of roller 27. Roller 26 remains stationary, since it cannot reverse. The leading edge of top sheet 10 is dragged backwards, until it rides free of roller 27. After a predetermined time the rollers now resume their previous movement, so that sheet 10 now passes upwards between rollers 18, 28. Sheet 11 passes forwards over plate 37, until it reaches a roll 30 formed on a hollow cardboard core 38 which can slide freely in slotted brackets 40. As the damp sheet 11 reaches roll 30, it adheres to it and becomes wrapped round it.