GB1305825A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1305825 Feeding and delivering sheets XEROX CORP 8 May 1970 [15 May 1969] 22294/70 Heading B8R An apparatus for supplying articles, e.g. documents, from a first to a second location, e.g. to the platen 6 of a copying machine 5, comprises a tray 30 for holding documents 7 to be despatched and returned documents 8, transport means for despatching documents 7 from and returning documents 8 to the tray 30 and including a primary transporter, e.g. a separating roller 14, adjacent the mouth of said tray for feeding documents singly therefrom, and means, e.g. a bar 32, interposable between the primary transporter and returned documents 8 to prevent unintentional re-feeding, cover means 60 being adapted to overlie and co-operate with the tray to reposition returned documents 8 in the tray. Documents 7 separated by roller 14 are fed by rollers 16, 17 which prevent double feed, and by rollers 18, 19, through the guide path defined by plates 21, 33 to a reversible endless belt 20 which feeds the documents on to the platen 6 and returns them via the top surface of plate 21 and rollers 22, 33 and 27, 28 to the tray 30. The tray may comprise two parts (41), Fig. 2 (not shown), 41<SP>1</SP> slidable along a shaft 42 to accommodate documents of different size. The cover 60 is pivotable about the shaft 42 and urges the tray 30 to a loading position (Fig. 2), as it is opened. An air chest (64) has apertures (86) which blow low pressure air on to returning documents to direct them to the tray 30. Alternatively spring fingers may be used. A photo-electric cell 78 and light 79 sense when all the documents 7 have been fed from the tray and momentarily actuate a solenoid 38, or clutch arrangement, which lifts the bar 32 to allow returned documents 8 to fall to the feed position. After a time delay, the bar is again actuated to return the last fed document to the feed position. This solenoid or clutch may also be actuated when the machine is started up, and when the cover 60 is opened so as to lift the bar out of the way to facilitate loading the tray 30. The tray has a spring finger 50 to retard returning documents and jog them into a neat pile. An ion generator 88 may eliminate static electric charges on the documents.