Vacuum paper feeder

Claim 2

Apparatus for feeding sheets seriatim from one of a plurality of stacks of sheets of varying width positionable in said apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a sheet support having a first side for supporting any one of the plurality of stacks of sheets at a time; a plurality of vacuum fingers movable toward and away from said support for feeding said sheets seriatim from a stack on said support; means for supplying a vacuum to said vacuum fingers; valve means interconnecting at least one of said fingers with said vacuum supply means and movable between an open position wherein vacuum is supplied to said finger and a closed position in which vacuum is not supplied to said finger; movable sheet-positioning means movable along a path for positioning one of said stacks of sheets on said support; and means for controlling said valve means in response to movement of said sheet-positioning means so that vacuum is supplied only to those fingers which are engageable with a stack of sheets positioned on said support.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means includes: spaced switches on one of said sheet support and said positioning means; and spaced means on the other of said sheet support and said positioning means for operating said switches when moved along a path to a position adjacent said switches.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said positioning means includes: at least first and second side guides on said support movable toward and away from each other to center a stack of paper thereon; a rack extending from each of said side guides toward the other side guide on a second side of said support opposite said first side, said racks being generally parallel to each other; and a pinion rotatably mounted on said second side of said support and engageable by both of said racks so that upon movement of one of said side guides in a first direction the other of said guides is moved correspondingly in an opposite direction to said first side guide.

Claim 5

A paper-feeding apparatus for feeding copy sheets seriatim from one of a plurality of stacks of paper of narrow, intermediate or wide width positionable in said apparatus, said device comprising: a paper support having a top side for supporting any one of the plurality of stacks of paper at a time; first and second sets of vacuum fingers movable together toward and away from said support for engaging said copy sheets to feed them seriatim from a stack on said support; means for supplying a vacuum to said first and second sets of vacuum fingers; a first control valve movable between an open and closed position and interconnecting said second set of fingers to said vacuum supply means; movable paper-positioning means for positioning a stack of any one of said narrow, intermediate or wide width copy paper on said support; and means for moving said first control valve so that vacuum is supplied only to said first set of vacuum fingers responsive to the positioning of said narrow paper on said support and vacuum is supplied to both sets of fingers responsive to the positioning of said intermediate paper on said support.

Claim 6

A paper-feeding apparatus for feeding copy sheets seriatim from one of a plurality of stacks of paper of narrow, intermediate or wide width positionable in said apparatus, said device comprising: a paper support having a top side for supporting any one of the plurality of stacks of paper at a time; first and second sets of vacuum fingers movable together toward and away from said support for engaging said copy sheets to feed them seriatim from a stack on said support; means for supplying a vacuum to said first and second sets of vacuum fingers; a first control valve movable between an open and closed position and interconnecting said second set of fingers to said vacuum supply means; movable paper-positioning means for positioning a stack of any one of said narrow, intermediate or wide width copy paper on said support; and means for moving said first control valve so that vacuum is supplied only to said first set of vacuum fingers responsive to the positioning of said narrow paper on said support and vacuum is supplied to both sets of fingers responsive to the positioning of said intermediate paper on said support.

Claim 7

A paper-feeding apparatus, as claimed in claim 4, further including: a third set of vacuum fingers movable with said first and second sets of vacuum fingers; a second control valve movable between an open and closed position and interconnecting said third set of vacuum fingers with said vacuum supply means; and first and second control means which include said moving means, said first control means being responsive to a position of said positioning means for holding said intermediate width paper to close said second control valve to shut off vacuum to said third set of vacuum fingers and said first and second control means being responsive to a position for holding said narrow width paper in said positioning means to close said first and second control valves to shut off vacuum to said second and third sets of vacuum fingers, respectively.

Claim 8

A paper-feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of said control valves further include: first and second solenoids for moving said first and second control valves respectively; spaced first and second switches below said support and connected in circuit, respectively, with said first and second control valves and spaced from each other a distance equal to one-half the difference in width between said narrow width paper and said intermediate width paper; and magnet means movable in response to movement of said paper-positioning means along a path adjacent said switches to operate said switches in response to the position of said paper-positioning means.

Claim 9

A paper-feeding apparatus, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said magnet means includes: first and second magnets spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the spacing of said first and second switches.

Claim 10

A paper-feeding apparatus for feeding copy sheets seriatim from one of a plurality of stacks of paper including at least stacks of paper of narrow width, intermediate width and wide width positionable on said apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a paper support having a top side and a bottom side, said paper being supportable on said top side; at least first, second and third sets of vacuum fingers, said first set of fingers being engageable with paper of each of said widths, said second set of vacuum fingers being engageable with said intermediate width paper and said wide width paper only and said third set of vacuum fingers being engageable with said wide width paper only, said sets of vacuum fingers being movable toward and away from said support for feeding paper from a stack of paper on said support; means for supplying a vacuum to said first, second and third sets of vacuum fingers; a first energizable solenoid valve interconnecting said second set of vacuum fingers with said vacuum supply means and being movable between an open and closed position; a second energizable solenoid valve interconnecting said vacuum supply means and said third set of vacuum fingers and being movable between an open and closed position; first and second paper guides movable on opposite sides of a stack of paper to center said paper on said support; a rack extending from each of said paper guides on the bottom side of said support; a pinion interconnecting said racks so that movement of one of said paper guides causes a corresponding movement of the other of said paper guides; at least first and second activatable switch means on the bottom of said support in circuit with said first and second solenoid valves, said switch means being spaced apart a distance equal to one-half the difference in width between said narrow width paper and said intermediate width paper; and first and second spaced magnets on one of said paper guides for activating said switches spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing of said first and second switch means and movable with said side guides so that when said guides are in position to center said narrow width paper both of said first and second switches are activated so that both said first and second solenoid valves are energized to shut off vacuum to said second and third set of fingers and when said paper guide is in position to center said intermediate width paper, said second switch is activated to close said second solenoid valve energized to shut off vacuum to said third set of vacuum fingers and when said paper guide is in position to center said wide width paper neither of said switches is activated so that vacuum is supplied to all three sets of vacuum fingers.

Claim 11

A paper-feeding apparatus for feeding copy sheets seriatim from one of a plurality of stacks of paper including at least stacks of paper of narrow width, intermediate width and wide width positionable on said apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a paper support having a top side and a bottom side, said paper being supportable on said top side; at least first, second and third sets of vacuum fingers, said first set of fingers being engageable with paper of each of said widths, said second set of vacuum fingers being engageable with said intermediate width paper and said wide width paper only and said third set of vacuum fingers being engageable with said wide width paper only, said sets of vacuum fingers being movable toward and away from said support for feeding paper from a stack of paper on said support; means for supplying a vacuum to said first, second and third sets of vacuum fingers; a first energizable solenoid valve interconnecting said second set of vacuum fingers with said vacuum supply means and being movable between an open and closed position; a second energizable solenoid valve interconnecting said vacuum supply means and said third set of vacuum fingers and being movable between an open and closed position; first and second paper guides movable on opposite sides of a stack of paper to center said paper on said support; a rack extending from each of said paper guides on the bottom side of said support; a pinion interconnecting said racks so that movement of one of said paper guides causes a corresponding movement of the other of said paper guides; at least first and second activatable switch means on the bottom of said support in circuit with said first and second solenoid valves, said switch means being spaced apart a distance equal to one-half the difference in width between said narrow width paper and said intermediate width paper; and first and second spaced magnets on one of said paper guides for activating said switches spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing of said first and second switch means and movable with said side guides so that when said guides are in position to center said narrow width paper both of said first and second switches are activated so that both said first and second solenoid valves are energized to shut off vacuum to said second and third set of fingers and when said paper guide is in position to center said intermediate width paper, said second switch is activated to close said second solenoid valve energized to shut off vacuum to said third set of vacuum fingers and when said paper guide is in position to center said wide width paper neither of said switches is activated so that vacuum is supplied to all three sets of vacuum fingers.