Sheet feeding apparatus

Abstract

Abstract A PHOTOCOPYING MACHINE HAS A STORAGE COMPARTMENT WHICH IS COVERED BY A LID AND CONTAINS A STACK OF COPY PAPER SHEETS LATERALLY CONFINED BETWEEN GUIDE RAILS IN A FEEDING POSITION. ROTATABLY DRIVEN FEED ROLLERS ADVANCE THE TOPMOST SHEET FORWARDLY FROM THE FEEDING POSITION TOWARD AN EXIT THROAT, AND THE TOPMOST SHEET IS SEPARATED FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE STACK BY CORNER SEPARATORS ENGAGING THE FORWARD CORNERS OF THE STACK. FROM THE STACK, THE SHEET MOVES THROUGH THE EXIT THROAT WHICH GUIDES THE INCOMING SHEET INTO THE NIP OF A PAIR OF ROTATING ROLLERS WHICH REMOVE THE SHEET FROM THE COMPARTMENT FOR FURTHER PROCESSING. TO INSERT A FRESH STACK OF SHEETS INTO THE COMPARTMENT, THE FEED ROLLERS AND THE CORNER SEPARATORS ARE SUPPORTED FOR GENERALLY VERTICAL MOVEMENT AND MECHANICALLY CONNECTED TO THE LID SO AS TO MOVE UPWARDLY FROM THE FEEDING POSITION UPON MOVEMENT OF THE LID TO UNCOVER THE COMPARTMENT. THE FORWARD END OF THE STACK IS ALIGNED WITH THE CORNER SEPARATORS BY A PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED STOP MEMBER WHICH IS MECHANICALLY CONNECTED TO THE LID AND PIVOTALLY MOVED INTO AN UPRIGHT POSITION FOR ENGAGEMENT BY THE STACK UPON THE UNCOVERING MOVEMENT OF THE LID. AFTER THE STACK IS PROPERLY INSERTED, THE LID IS MOVED TO COVER THE COMPARTMENT AND MOVES THE STOP MEMBER FROM THE UPRIGHT POSITION AND MOVES THE SHEET ADVANCING MEANS AND THE CORNER SEPARATORS ONTO THE TOPMOST SHEET OF THE STACK.

Inventors

• 👤 Edward W Engel

Bibliographic Details