Sheet conveyor for automatic copying machines

Claim 1

A sheet conveyor device for passing a sheet of paper through an automatic copying machine comprising a suction tank mounted within the machine and having an end area including a feed portion and an exit portion for said paper; a plurality of rollers spaced around the periphery of said suction tank and extending outside of the periphery of said suction tank; a plurality of endless belts having a predetermined total transverse dimension and mounted to be driven on said rollers, said belts located on said rollers to provide a predetermined spacing area between adjacent belts; individual groups of suction holes formed in said suction tank, each individual group located solely in one of said predetermined spacing areas respectively; a guide sheet of a flexible nature located in the machine, said guide sheet having vertically spaced and aligned inlet and outlet end portions adjacent said end area of said suction tank, said guide sheet having a configuration to be disposed outwardly of and adjacent to said endless belts; said guide sheet projecting inwardly into the machine from said end area and extending around said plurality of endless belts from said feed portion to said exit portion; and said guide sheet having a transverse dimension greater than said predetermined total transverse dimension of said plurality of endless belts whereby the paper passing through the machine between said guide sheet and said belts is held against said belts by suction acting through said holes.