GB2138406A - Paper-tray-and-feeder for photocopy machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A box-like tray 25 holds a stack 27 of more than 1,000 sheets of paper and is positioned so that extension (28) is received in the paper-receiving slot 22 of a photocopy machine 20. Independently driven sheet-separator 29 rides on top of the stack 27 and feeds the top sheet to an independent feed- drive mechanism 30 which advances the sheet onto a teetering paper-receiving tray 31, the discharge end of which is positioned within the machine 20 beneath the copier sheet-take-away roller 23. A cam mechanism causes the discharge end of the tray 31 to press the leading edge of the sheet against the take-away roller 23, and, when the copier 20 is actuated and the sheet is drawn into the copier 20, a sensing finger 67 located on the tray 31 detects the passage of the sheet and actuates the drive motors 44, 54 for the sheet separator 29 and the feed rollers 47, 48 to advance the next top sheet of the stack onto the tray 31 as before. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Paper-tray-and-feeder for photocopy machine This invention relates to a paper-tray-andfeeder for a photocopy machine or copier.

Photocopiers generally in use at the present time have one or two paper-trays, which hold several hundred sheets of paper, for feeding sheets into the copy machine upon command.

Quite frequently, one of these trays carries letter-sheets (8+" X 11") and the other tray carries legal sheets 8+" x 14"). These trays have to be refilled frequently, because their capacity is generally no more than 200-250 sheets.

It is believed possible by means of the present invention to provide a large volume paper tray for use with standard desk-top photocopy machines.

Another believed possibility of the present invntion is to provide a large volume paper tray for photocopiers where the sheets are fed from the top of the stack rather than from the bottom.

Another believed possibility of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeder for a large stack of sheets wherever the stack need not be spring-loaded into contact with the sheet-feeder.

Another believed possibility of the present invention is to provide a sheet-feeder for a photocopier wherein the stack is removed from the copier and only the top sheet of the stack is fed automatically into the copier access port when the preceding sheet is withdrawn therefrom by the photocopier mechanism.

According to the present invention there is provided a paper-tray-and-feeder for a copier having sheet-receiving means, said paper-trayand-feeder comprising a sheet separator for removing the top sheet from a stack of sheets, said separator being constructed and arranged to rest on top of the stack of sheets, drive means in the separator arranged to move the top sheet of the stack of sheets, and a motor operatively connected to the drive means to move the top sheet from the stack of sheets.

A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a paper-tray which, in order to obviate the necessity for frequent re-loading the paper tray, is a large capacity tray which can hold over 1,000 sheets of paper without any modification to the photocopier itself. The paper tray is inexpensive to manufacture, is simple in its operation, and can be constructed for use with a wide range of types and models of photocopy machines.

The present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts: Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a paper-tray-and-sheet-feeder embodying the present invention and shown in juxtaposition to a photocopy machine; Fig. 2 is a stylized view of the sheetseparator as it acts upon the top sheet of a stack; Fig. 3 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the drive mechanism of the sheet-separator; Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the feed roller mechanism for advancing sheets supplied by the sheet-separator; Fig. 5 is a detailed view of a gear train of the feed roller mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the papertray; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view, partly in vertical cross-section, illustrating the teetering principle of the paper-tray; Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating how the paper is inserted into the paper tray with he sheet separator and the feed roller moved into inoperative position; and Fig. 9 is a stylized schematic view illustrating the logic-sequence of the advancement of the paper from the paper stack through the copier take-away rolls.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a photocopy (copier) machine 20, well-known in the art, of which further description is not necessasry. The chassis 21 includes a slot 22 (there may be one or more of these slots in a copier), which is generally designed to receive a cassette of paper to be fed into the copier.

Positioned above the slot 22 is a copier take-away roller 23. This roller is actuated by the elements of the copier and rotates in the direction shown by the arrow 24 to remove the top sheet of paper from the cassette placed in the slot 22.

All of this is well-known in the art, as is the fact that the cassettes designed for introduction into the slot 22 generally can carry no more than 200-250 sheets of paper.

A large-capacity box-like paper tray 25 includes a body 26 in which a large stack 27 (1,000 sheets or more) of paper sheets is disposed. The body 26 includes an extension 28, which is positioned on the body 26, so that when the tray 25 is placed alongside the chassis 21 of the copier 20, the extension 28 may be introduced into the slot 22.

The principal elements of the sheet-feeder are a paper separator 29, a paper feed drive 30, and a paper tray 31, all of which will be described more fully hereinafter.

The body 26 of the paper tray 25 is large enough so that a space 32 and a space 33 is provided on each side of the stack 27 so that the operator's hands may enter the interior cavity of the tray 25 (as shown particularly in Fig. 8) when placing the paper within the tray 25.

During the insertion of the stack of paper into the tray 25, the paper separator 29 and the paper feed drive 30 are pivoted away from the stack as shown by the arrows 34 in Fig. 8.

Referring now particularly to Figures 2, 3 and 4, the paper separator 29 rests upon the uppermost sheet 35 of the stack 27. The separator 29 has one or more channels 36 which fit around one or more guide bars 37, so as to guide the separator vertically, in a straight line, as the uppermost sheets are fed from the stack 27 and the separator 29 rides downwardly as the height of the stack decreases.

A corner separator 38 overrides the forward end of the uppermost sheets in the stack 27 and restrains the paper from moving forwardly.

A drive roller 39, rests upon the top sheet 35, and when rotated in the direction of the arrow 40, causes the paper to buckle against and snap over a corner separator 38, passing forwardly from the stack 27 in the direction shown by the arrow 41 in Figure 2.

The roller 39 is driven by the gear 42 and by the larger gear 43, which is connected to an independent feeder-drive motor 44 (shown in Figure 9).

A cam 45 connected to the gear 43 is positioned so as to come into contact with a switch 46 after one revolution of the gear 43.

The interaction of the switch and drive mechanism will be described later on.

As the top sheet 35 of the paper is fed by the roller 39 above the corner separator 38, it passes between the paper-feed rollers 47 and 48 of the paper-feed drive 30. This is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4.

In Figure 4, the paper separator 29 is shown in solid lines in an upper position at the top of the stack 27 and in dotted lines at a lower position as the stack of paper decreases in height.

The paper separator 29 is also guided by the telescoping support 49, which is pivoted at 50, on the paper separator. At its other end, it pivots about the axis 51 in the feedroller gear train 53. A paper guide 52 insures that the leading edge of the sheet of paper passes between the rollers 47 and 48 as the sheet is discharged from the paper separator over the top of the corner separator 38.

The feed rollers 47 and 48 are driven through the gear train 53 which, as shown in Figure 5, interconnects the drive roller 47, at one end of the train, to a feed roller drive motor 54. The gear train arrangement permits the frame of the feed roller drive to pivot through an arc 55 as shown in Figure 5 as the paper separator 29 moves up and down on the stack of paper.

The pivoting of the frame of the feed-roller drive mechanism around the axis 51 also permits the feed-roller drive and paper separator to be swung out of position, as shown in Figure 8, through the angle indicated by the arrows 34, to afford the operator an opportunity to insert the stack of paper into the body 26.

The interaction of the drive motor 54 with the other drive elements will be described hereinafter.

Disposed generally beneath the paper feed drive mechanism 30 and within the extension 28, the paper tray 31 is pivotally supported as at 56. The inner end 57 of the tray 31 includes a finger 50 which engages a cam 59 disposed on the gear 60 of the feed-roller drive train. A switch 61 is also disposed adjacent the end 57 of the tray and is arranged so that the contact 62 of the switch 61 is energized when the end 57 is pressed downwardly against the contact 62 by th cam 59, as is shown in figure 7.

The outer end 63 of the tray 31 has a series of flexible fingers 64 which extend into the slot 22 in such a manner as to bring the fingers directly beneath the copier take-away roller 23.

When a sheet of paper is disposed on the tray 31, the leading edge 65 is pressed by the fingers 64 against the roller 23 so that when the roller 23 rotates in the direction of the arrow 24 (upon command from the copier), the sheet will be drawn off the tray and into the copier.

Midway along the tray 31, a switch 66 is disposed beneath the tray with a flexible sensing finger 67 extending above the tray surface through the slot 68. When a sheet of paper is disposed on the tray 31, the finger 67 is pressed downwardly as shown in the solid lines in Figure 7, but after the sheet is drawn by the roller 23 into the copier and the trailing edge passes beyond the finger 67, the finger moves upwardly to the dotted position shown in Figure 7.

The interaction of the switches, drives, rollers, gears. levers and trays can be understood more effectively by reference to Figure 9 which describes the logic of the operation.

When the copier draws a sheet of paper from the tray by the action of the roller 23, the paper switch 66 closes, thus setting in motion both the drive motors 44 and 54. The action of the motor 44 causes the paper separator roller to turn, moving the top sheet above the corner separator 38 and between the drive rollers 47 and 48 which have been caused to rotate by the simultaneous action of the motor 54. Additionally, the motor 54, when driving the gear train 53, causes the cam 59 to rotate away from the finger 58, thus permitting the end 57 of the tray 31 to rise, with its subsequent lowering of the end 63 of the tray 31.

This provides a space between the fingers 64 and the roller 23, so that the sheet of paper, when moved by the rollers 47 and 48 away from the stack of paper 27 and onto the tray 31, permits the leading edge of the paper to be disposed beneath the roller 23.

Upon completion of one revolution of the gear 60, the cam 59 again comes in contact with the finger 58, causing the tray 31 to pivot about the axis 56 and to enable the fingers 64 to press the leading edge 65 of the sheet against the roller 23, all in anticipation of the next instruction from the copier to feed a sheet of paper from the tray 31.

Both of the motors 44 and 54 stop when each system has reached "home" position.

The tray "home" switch 61 opens when cam 59 has pivoted the tray 31 so as to move the fingers 64 into position against the roller 23.

When the copier takes a sheet of paper from the paper tray and the paper "out" switch 66 causes the relays to start both motors, these motors each run for one revolution of their timing gear, turn off their respective switches, and bring the motor to a quick stop. The stopping of the motors is independent of each other and occurs at different times.

It is also to be noted that the paper separator feeder roll 39 advances one sheet of paper to the feed rollers 47 and 48 and then stops.

The feed rollers 47 and 48 continue rotating and pull the sheet the rest of the way off the stack 27. There is provided a one-way clutch on the paper-separator drive system, which permits the roller 39 to rotate, even though the motor has stopped.

There is shown in Figure 1 a distance of approximately 2-1 /2't (6.35cm) indicated by the arrows 70, which is an acceptable position of the lead edge of a sheet, which ensures that the leading edge of the paper is adequately disposed beneath the copier takeaway roller 23.

Claims (10)

1. A paper-tray-and-feeder for a copier having sheet-receiving means, said paper-trayand-feeder comprising a sheet separator for removing the top sheet from a stack of sheets, said separator being constructed and arranged to rest on top of the stack of sheets, drive means in the separator arranged to move the top sheet of the stack of sheets, and a motor operatively connected to the drive means to move the top sheet from the stack of sheets.

2. A tray-and feeder as claimed in claim 1, and including an edge restraint on said sheetseparator to prevent movement of the sheets below the top sheet of the stack when the top sheet is moved.

3. A tray-and-feeder as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said drive means comprises a rotating wheel and a slip clutch connected thereto to permit rotation of the wheel in only one direction.

4. A tray-and-feeder as claimed inclaim 3, including a cam and switch operatively connected to the motor to limit rotation of the drive wheel to one rotation of the wheel.

5. A tray-and-feeder as claimed in any preceding claim, and including means for guiding the sheet separator in a vertical direction as the height of the stack of sheets decreases.

6. A tray-and-feeder as claimed in any preceding claim and including feed means having a second motor to draw the sheet away from the sheet-separator.

7. A tray-and-feeder as claimed in claim 6, and including a sheet tray to receive the sheet from the feed means and to support the leading edge of the sheet adjacent the sheetremoving means of the copier.

8. A tray-and-feeder as claimed in claim 7, and including a switch disposed on the tray in the sheet-path and operatively connected into the aforesaid motors to cause the sheet-separator to move the next top sheet on the stack of sheets and the feed means to draw the sheet from the sheet separator.

9. A tray-and-feeder as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein said tray is pivotable so as to provide a sheet-access aperture between one end of the tray and the sheet removal means of the copier to receive the leading edge of a sheet therein.

10. A tray-and-feeder as claimed in any one of claims 6 and 9 wherein said sheet-separator and feed means are movable to permit separation of the same from the stack of sheets.