GB1569370A

GB1569370A - Sheet feeding and receiving apparatus for directing sheetsof paper to and receiving sheets from a platen of an office machine

Info

Publication number: GB1569370A
Application number: GB1414177A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1976-04-05
Filing date: 1977-04-04
Publication date: 1980-06-11
Also published as: CA1060493A; SE7702953L; NL7703223A; DE2711173B2; JPS60182153U; DE2711173A1; NL183444B; FR2347199A1; CH611577A5; NL183444C; FR2347199B1; JPS52121403A; SE425643B

Abstract

The device for automatically feeding a typing machine contains a supply compartment (4) for the untyped individual sheets, in particular forms, and a deposition compartment (43) for the typed sheets. The sheets are taken off individually from the supply compartment by means of a separation device (2), deflected downwards and fed to the platen (36). Thereafter, the typed sheets (33) pass between a drivable pair of carriage rolls (40, 42) and are then deposited in the deposition compartment (43).

Description

(54) A SHEET FEEDING AND RECEIVING APPARATUS FOR DIRECTING SHEETS OF PAPER TO AND RECEIVING SHEETS FROM A PLATEN OF AN OFFICE MACHINE (71) 1, KURT RÜNZI a Swiss citizen of Kusnachterstr.59 8126 Zumikon, Switzerland do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to sheet feeding and receiving apparatus for supplying sheets from a sheet supply stack to a platen of an office machine and for receiving sheets from the platen.

Sheet feeding devices for paper sheets are well known. These devices supply the sheets to office machines, such as printers, duplicators and copiers. Prior sheet separating devices are oonstructed in such a manner that tbey must be adjusted precisely to the thickness of the particular type of paper to be separated. If it is necessary to change the paper for a different thickness a careful new adjustment to the sheet separating devices must be made. The required adjustments make the conventional sheets separating devices expensive and subject to trouble which may occur, because the adjustment has changed during operation. Further, the adjustments are time consuming.

In many office machines, it is customary to use inter-folded, continuous stationery, or sets of office forms. This is, for example, the case in automatic typewriters, accounting machines, and data processing machines. Such coiitiauous stationery is provided with a row of apertures running along one edge or margin for ensuring a true line feed in the machine.

the continuous stationery has passed through the office machine the sheets thereof are separated from each other and it is necessary to remove the margin at which the appertures are provided. This involves additional labour and may even require the use of additional machines. Thus, these machines have the disadvantage that pre planted letter heads, invoice forms etc., which are available at individual sheets only, cannot be used in this type of machine which makes it necessary to have these forms and letter heads in specially prepared form.

The present invention seeks to provide a machine which can separate sheets of paper from a stack individually and independently of the thickness of the paper sheets, whereby the individual sheets of paper may have different thicknesses even in the same stack. In apparatus formed as an embodiment of the invention, the transporting of more than one sheet or one set of sheets at a time, regardless of the thickness of the sheets or sets of sheets, is avoided.Morevoer the apparatus of the invention can supply individual sheets without a perforated margin into office machines, such as automatic typewriters, accounting machines, data processing machines, copiers and teletypewriters, in which such feeding must be automatic and precise; and can feed sheets into office machines of the type just mentioned whilst'maintaining the supply magazine as well as the receiving magazine in a substantially horizontal position or in a position which is only slightly slanted relative to the horizontal.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet feeding and receiving apparatus for directing sheets of paper to and receiving sheets from a platen of an office machine, comprising a first driven roller, a pivotally mounted first stack support, means to resiliently urge the leading edge of an upper sheet of a stack of sheets on the said stack support against the said first driven roller, a stop for engaging the lower sheets of a stack of sheets on the said stack support, a second driven roller positioned downstream of the said first roller in the transport direction of sheets from the stack, whereby in operation the said first roller separates a sheet from the said stack of sheets and feeds the separated sheet towards the said second roller, the apparatus further comprising first sheet guide means for deflecting a sheet supplied by the sheet separating means through an angle downwardly so that, in use, it enters behind the platen of an office machine when the apparatus is attached thereto, a second stack support arranged above the said pivotally mounted first stack support, and second guide means, positioned so that, in use, it lies above the platen of an office machine when the apparatus is attached thereto, for directing sheets received from the platen below to the said second stack support.

The apparatus of the present invention may be constructed as an attachment to an office machine, either with a slip-on or slip-on connection, or may have a more permanent means of connection such as screws.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an office machine having sheet feed apparatus as recited above.

One embodiment of the invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a sectional view of apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of sheet separating sets of rollers of the apparatus of the Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of a sheet separating gate of the apparatus of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a section through the sheet separating gate of Figure 3.

Figure 1 illustrates an apparatus according to the present invention for the automatic supply of individual sheets from a sheet supply stack to a roller of an office machine and onto a sheet receiving stack. Individual sheets 6 are removed from a stack 5 and supplied to a platen 36, for example, of a typewriter or an accounting machine. On the platen, the individual sheets 6 with the typing thereon are moved in the direction of arrow D and further in the direction of arrow E onto a receiving stack 48 held on a receiving tray 43.

A sheet separator 2 is arranged in a housing 3, the side walls of which support a sheet supply tray 4 in see-saw fashion, the supply tray 4 being urged in the direction of arrow A by a spring 7. A downwardly bent end of the tray 4 provides a limit stop 8 for clockwise movement of the tray. The sheets 6 forming the stack S are placed manually onto the tray 4 so that the leading edge of the sheets contacts the stop 8 extending substantially at right-angles to a feed advance direction F.

The sheet separator 2 is also pivotally mounted on the side walls of the housing 3. A first sheet separating set 10 of rollers 12 is arranged above the stop 8 and above the stack of sheets 5. The rollers 12 are arranged in a row and supported on a horizontal shaft 14 to which the rollers 12 are rigidly secured against rotation relative thereto. The shaft 14 is driven by a motor 16 via a toothed belt 17 in the direction indicated by arrow B.

Since the spring 7 urges the supply tray 4 with the stack 5 thereon upwardly against the rollers 12, the leading edge of the top sheet contacts the roller 12. The lowest generatrix of the rollers 12 is substantially at a level of a table 18 over which the sheets 5 are individually transported. Preferably, the table 18 is an integral unit with the stop 8 and bent substantially at right-angles thereto3 as shown in figure 1.

Above the table 18 as viewed in the direction F, there are arranged downstream of the first set 10 of rollers 12, a further set 20 of rollers 22. The rollers 22 are secured to a common shaft 15 driven by a toothed belt 26 which derives its driving force from the motor 16 via the toothed belt 17 and the rollers 12.

The rollers 12 and the rollers 22 have the same diameter. Preferably, the gear belt 26 provides for a speed increase in transmission so that the rollers 20 run faster than the rollers 12. Thus, the circumferential speed of the rollers 22 is greater than that of the rollers 12. The second set of rollers is arranged above a cut-out '9 (figure 1) provided in the table 18. A separator plate 28 is arranged to pass through this cut-out and is tiltable about an axis 29. The axis 29 is arranged below the table 18 and a spring 27 urges the plate 28 against the rollers 22. The plate 28 is provided with a friction increasing means 301, as shown in Figure 4. The friction increasing means 301 are preferably provided in strips as best seen in Figure 3 or may be a coating.

The strips or coating may, for example, be made of soft rubber having a relatively high friction co-efficient relative to paper so that the separated paper sheets encounter a higher friction relative to the plate 28 in the direction F, than to the table 18. The rubber strips or coating extend above the level defined by the lowest generatrix of the roller 22 so that a sheet being transported will take on a slightly wavy, or corrugated shape as it passes the plate 28.

The rollers 12, 22 are provided with a freewheeling drive or idle running device so that they may run faster than the speed determined by the drive of the motor 16. This is desirable in the case where the sheets are transported faster by the downstream handling elements than by the speed determined by the motor 16. The rollers 12, 22 make sure that only one sheet at a time is supplied to the platen 36 over a guide roller 30, secured to a shaft 31, also driven by a toothed belt via the toothed belts 17, 26. A guide member 32 is arranged to co-operate with a guide roller 30 for moving a sheet 6 into an entrance gap 34 defined between a guide member 37 and a platen 36. This gap 34 may include conventional pressing rollers for the sheets 6 which rollers are not shown for the sake of simplicity.

When a sheet 6 is located behind the platen 36 in the gap 34 the platen 36 may rotate, and typing may begin, by, for example, a typehad (not shown). The platen 36 is advanced line by line to move the sheet 6 towards the front side of the platen 36 in the direction of the arrow B and thus eventually up to a funnel 38 which guides the sheet 6 between two guide members 49, 50. The funnel 38 has such a shape that it diverts the sheet 6 in a direction E which is substantially opposite to the direction F.

At the output of the funnel 38, there is arranged a pair of rollers 40, 42 nonnally so spaced that the sheet emerging from the funnel may easily pass between these rollers without any pull being applied to the sheet by the rollers. The lower of these rollers is supported on its axle in a manner permitting a shifting of the axle substantially up and down by means of electrornagnets 45. If these electromagnets are energised, the respective roller is pressed against the other roller, whereby the sheet is firmly held bewteen these rollers.

The upper of the rollers is positively driven, for example also from the motor 16 via a ewUed belt 41, whereby the sheet 6 between the rollers 40, 42 is positively transported in the diÇon E and onto a stack 48 held on a tray 43 in the form of, for example, rods.It is thus possible to arrange the two trays 4, 43 Substantially one above the other, as illus traced, which has the advantage that the spate above the typewriter is not cluttered by trays. The total angle between the two trays is within the range of 3400 to 3600 The tilt of the supply tray 4 and also of the tray 43 relative to the horizontal, should not exceed 300, and preferably should be within the range of 10 to 20 The control of the supply of sheets may be arranged in response to the operation of the typewriter, as is conventional.When all the sheets S are removed from the supply tray 4, the whole system, including the typewriter, may be stopped, for example, by means of a micro-switch 46. Moreover, as mentioned above, the entire apparatus may be constructed as an attachment unit. The connection may either be of the slipon or clip-on type or brew 7 may be used for this purpose.

WHAT I CLAIM IS:- 1. A sheet feeding and receiving apparatus for directing sheets of paper to and receiving sheets from a platen of an office machine, comprising a first driven roller, a pivotally mounted first stack support, means to resil iiy urge the leading edge of an upper sheet of a stack of sheets on the said stack support against the said first driven roller, a stop for engaging the lower sheets of a stack of sheets on the said stack support, a second driven roller positioned downstream of the said first roller in the transport direction of sheets from the stack, whereby in operation the said first roller separates a sheet from the said stack of sheets and feeds the separated sheet towards the said second roller, the apparatus further comprising first sheet guide means for deflecting a sheet supplied by the sheet separating means through an angle downwardly so that, in use, it enters behind the platen of an office machine when the apparatus is attached thereto, a second stack support arranged above the said pivotally mounted first stack support, and second guide means, positioned so that, in use, it lies above the platen of an office machine when the apparatus is attached thereto, for directing sheets received from the platen below to the said second stack support.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which two co-operating sheet withdrawing rollers are positioned so that, when the apparatus is attached to an office machine, they lie above the platen for positively withdrawing sheets received from the said platen.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the said first roller is a separating roller, the said second roller is a transport roller and both the first and second rollers, and the said withdrawing rollers, are driven from a common source.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the first sheet guide means for deflecting downwardly the sheets supplied by the said second roller operate to tarn the sheets through an angle of at least 450.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which the said first stack support is tilted, in use, relative to the horizontal by an angle up to 30".

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the said first roller is one of a set of coaxial rollers.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the said second roller is one of a set of coaxial rollers.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 2 to 7, in which the said second guide means further includes electro-magnetic means operatively connected for selectively separating the two withdrawing rollers from each other, and motor means operatively connected for positively driving at least one of the said two withdrawing rollers.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising additional sheet separating means down-stream of the first roller, the said additional sheet separating means including a table having an opening therein through which projects a plate for cooperation with the said second roller, the plate having a surface or coating facing the second roller having a high co-efficient of friction.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which the said second roller or set of rollers, in operation, is or are driven faster than the first roller or set of rollers, both rollers or both sets of rollers having free-wheeling idlerunning means.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. typing may begin, by, for example, a typehad (not shown). The platen 36 is advanced line by line to move the sheet 6 towards the front side of the platen 36 in the direction of the arrow B and thus eventually up to a funnel 38 which guides the sheet 6 between two guide members 49, 50. The funnel 38 has such a shape that it diverts the sheet 6 in a direction E which is substantially opposite to the direction F. At the output of the funnel 38, there is arranged a pair of rollers 40, 42 nonnally so spaced that the sheet emerging from the funnel may easily pass between these rollers without any pull being applied to the sheet by the rollers. The lower of these rollers is supported on its axle in a manner permitting a shifting of the axle substantially up and down by means of electrornagnets 45. If these electromagnets are energised, the respective roller is pressed against the other roller, whereby the sheet is firmly held bewteen these rollers. The upper of the rollers is positively driven, for example also from the motor 16 via a ewUed belt 41, whereby the sheet 6 between the rollers 40, 42 is positively transported in the diÇon E and onto a stack 48 held on a tray 43 in the form of, for example, rods.It is thus possible to arrange the two trays 4, 43 Substantially one above the other, as illus traced, which has the advantage that the spate above the typewriter is not cluttered by trays. The total angle between the two trays is within the range of 3400 to 3600 The tilt of the supply tray 4 and also of the tray 43 relative to the horizontal, should not exceed 300, and preferably should be within the range of 10 to 20 The control of the supply of sheets may be arranged in response to the operation of the typewriter, as is conventional.When all the sheets S are removed from the supply tray 4, the whole system, including the typewriter, may be stopped, for example, by means of a micro-switch 46. Moreover, as mentioned above, the entire apparatus may be constructed as an attachment unit. The connection may either be of the slipon or clip-on type or brew 7 may be used for this purpose. WHAT I CLAIM IS:-

1. A sheet feeding and receiving apparatus for directing sheets of paper to and receiving sheets from a platen of an office machine, comprising a first driven roller, a pivotally mounted first stack support, means to resil iiy urge the leading edge of an upper sheet of a stack of sheets on the said stack support against the said first driven roller, a stop for engaging the lower sheets of a stack of sheets on the said stack support, a second driven roller positioned downstream of the said first roller in the transport direction of sheets from the stack, whereby in operation the said first roller separates a sheet from the said stack of sheets and feeds the separated sheet towards the said second roller, the apparatus further comprising first sheet guide means for deflecting a sheet supplied by the sheet separating means through an angle downwardly so that, in use, it enters behind the platen of an office machine when the apparatus is attached thereto, a second stack support arranged above the said pivotally mounted first stack support, and second guide means, positioned so that, in use, it lies above the platen of an office machine when the apparatus is attached thereto, for directing sheets received from the platen below to the said second stack support.

11. A sheet feeding and receiving apparatus

for directing sheets of paper to and receiving sheets from a platen of an office machine substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

12. An office machine having an apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim.