Reciprocating document carriage for photocopier

Claim 2

In a photocopier, apparatus comprising, in combination: A. a carriage accommodating an original document and mounted for reciprocating movement through an illuminating station located intermediate a home carriage position and a transfer carriage position; B. a drive mechanism; C. a continuous, elongated drive element drivingly coupled to said drive mechanism and extending along the path of reciprocating movement of said carriage; D. means drivingly connecting said drive element to said carriage, said connecting means including 1. a first member carried by said drive element, and 2. a second member carried by said carriage, 3. said first and second members comprising means forming a lost motion connection therebetween for a. providing a positive drive coupling between said carriage and said drive element to draw said carriage along a major portion of said path intermediate said home and transfer stations at a speed equal to the speed of said drive element, and b. automatically providing a varying drive coupling between said carriage and said drive element such that said carriage is decelerated and accelerated by said drive element as said carriage approaches and leaves said home and transfer stations without varying the speed of said drive element. E. sensing means responsive to the arrival of said carriage at said home and transfer positions for controlling said drive mechanism.

Claim 3

a second member carried by said carriage,

Claim 4

a second member carried by said carriage,

Claim 5

a chain loop engaged by sprockets located adjacent said home and transfer positions and extending along the path of reciprocating carriage movement, said chain loop being selectably coupled to the copier drive train by said transmission for driven movement in opposite directions,

Claim 6

a chain loop engaged by sprockets located adjacent said home and transfer positions and extending along the path of reciprocating carriage movement, said chain loop being selectably coupled to the copier drive train by said transmission for driven movement in opposite directions,

Claim 7

The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said drive element comprises a chain loop engaged by sprockets stationed adjacent said home and transfer positions.

Claim 8

said second switch conditioned by the arrival of said carriage at said transfer position to de-energize said first solenoid and energize said second solenoid for operation of said second lever.

Claim 9

said second switch conditioned by the arrival of said carriage at said transfer position to de-energize said first solenoid and energize said second solenoid for operation of said second lever.

Claim 10

a second member carried by said carriage,

Claim 11

a second member carried by said carriage,

Claim 12

said first and second members comprising means forming a lost motion connection therebetween for a. providing a positive drive coupling between said carriage and said drive element to draw said carriage along a major portion of said path intermediate said home and transfer stations at a speed equal to the speed of said drive element, and b. automatically providing a varying drive coupling between said carriage and said drive element such that said carriage is decelerated and accelerated by said drive element as said carriage approaches and leaves said home and transfer stations without varying the speed of said drive element.

Claim 13

said first and second members comprising means forming a lost motion connection therebetween for a. providing a positive drive coupling between said carriage and said drive element to draw said carriage along a major portion of said path intermediate said home and transfer stations at a speed equal to the speed of said drive element, and b. automatically providing a varying drive coupling between said carriage and said drive element such that said carriage is decelerated and accelerated by said drive element as said carriage approaches and leaves said home and transfer stations without varying the speed of said drive element.

Claim 14

The apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein: A. said first member comprises a pin secured to a point on said chain loop moving in the chain loop half between said sprockets nearest said path; and B. said second member comprises a link carried by said carriage, said link formed having a slot for receiving said pin to provide said lost motion connection,

Claim 15

a pin secured to a point on said chain loop moving in the chain loop half between said sprockets nearest said path, and

Claim 16

a pin secured to a point on said chain loop moving in the chain loop half between said sprockets nearest said path, and

Claim 17

said first and second members comprising means forming a lost motion connection therebetween for a. providing a positive drive coupling between said carriage and said drive element to draw said carriage along a major portion of said path intermediate said home and transfer stations at a speed equal to the speed of said drive element, and b. automatically providing a varying drive coupling between said carriage and said drive element such that said carriage is decelerated and accelerated by said drive element as said carriage approaches and leaves said home and transfer stations without varying the speed of said drive element. E. sensing means responsive to the arrival of said carriage at said home and transfer positions for controlling said drive mechanism.

Claim 18

said first and second members comprising means forming a lost motion connection therebetween for a. providing a positive drive coupling between said carriage and said drive element to draw said carriage along a major portion of said path intermediate said home and transfer stations at a speed equal to the speed of said drive element, and b. automatically providing a varying drive coupling between said carriage and said drive element such that said carriage is decelerated and accelerated by said drive element as said carriage approaches and leaves said home and transfer stations without varying the speed of said drive element. E. sensing means responsive to the arrival of said carriage at said home and transfer positions for controlling said drive mechanism.

Claim 19

a link secured to said carriage and having a slot for receiving said pin, said slot being elongated in a direction normal to said path, whereby said pin slides in said slot as said pin moves on the periphery of either of said sprockets to automatically accelerate and decelerate said carriage during movement immediately adjacent said home and transfer positions; C. first sensing means responsive to the arrival of said carriage as said transfer position to condition said transmission to immediately drive said carriage through said copy stroke; and D. second sensing means responsive to the return of said carriage to said home position to condition said transmission to drive said carriage through said forward stroke upon the initiation of a next copy cycle.

Claim 20

a link secured to said carriage and having a slot for receiving said pin, said slot being elongated in a direction normal to said path, whereby said pin slides in said slot as said pin moves on the periphery of either of said sprockets to automatically accelerate and decelerate said carriage during movement immediately adjacent said home and transfer positions; C. first sensing means responsive to the arrival of said carriage as said transfer position to condition said transmission to immediately drive said carriage through said copy stroke; and D. second sensing means responsive to the return of said carriage to said home position to condition said transmission to drive said carriage through said forward stroke upon the initiation of a next copy cycle.

Claim 21

The apparatus defined in claim 3, wherein said sensing means is actuated to effect decoupling of said drive mechanism from said chain loop substantially at the moment said pin arrives at the point on either of said sprocket peripheries where its direction of movement parallel to said path reverses, whereby said carriage is brought to rest at said home and transfer positions.

Claim 22

The apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein said sensing means operates upon the arrival of said carriage at said transfer position to immediately effect recoupling of said drive mechanism to said chain loop and movement of said carriage back toward said home position.

Claim 23

The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said drive mechanism operates to drive said carriage from said home position to said transfer position at a first rate and to drive said carriage from said transfer position back to said home position at a second, different rate.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said drive mechanism includes a transmission having a forward drive condition, a neutral condition, and a reverse drive condition, all under the control of said sensing means.

Claim 25

The apparatus defined in claim 7, wherein A. said sensing means includes a first sensing switch located adjacent said home position and a second sensing switch located adjacent said transfer position; and B. said transmission includes a first solenoid operating a first lever to shift into said forward drive condition and a second solenoid operating a second lever to shift into said reverse drive condition,

Claim 26

The apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein one of said levers carries a mechanical interlock member adapted to prevent said transmission from being concurrently conditioned in said forward and reverse drive conditions.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 9, which further includes interlocking elements connected in electrical circuit with said first and second solenoids, said interlocking elements operating to prevent concurrent energization of said solenoids and to automatically reinstate a transmission drive condition interrupted by a power failure.

Claim 28

In a photocopier having an illuminating station where the image borne by an original document is scanned, and a copy paper feed path including an electrostatic charging station, an imaging station where the original document image is projected from the illuminating station onto copy paper withdrawn from a supply roll to create a latent electrostatic image thereon, and a developing station for developing and fixing the latent electrostatic image on the copy paper, apparatus comprising, in combination: A. a carriage for the original document, said carriage mounted for reciprocation to move the original document through the illuminating station; B. a reversible drive mechanism selectively coupled to drive said carriage through a forward stroke from a home position to a transfer position at a first rate and through a copy stroke from said transfer position back to said home position at a second, slower rate during each copy cycle, the movement of said carriage during said copy stroke being such that the original document moves through the illuminating station in synchronism with the movement of copy paper through the imaging station; C. first sensing means responsive to the arrival of said carriage at said transfer position to condition said drive mechanism to immediately drive said carriage through said copy stroke; D. second sensing means responsive to the return of said carriage to said home position to condition said drive mechanism to drive said carriage through said forward stroke upon the initiation of a next copy cycle; E. a first switch positioned along the path of reciprocating carriage movement and actuated by passage of said carriage during said forward stroke to initiate feeding of the copy paper; and F. a second switch positioned along said path and actuated by passage of said carriage during said copy stroke to initiate severance of a sheet length of coPy paper from the supply roll and termination of copy paper feed.

Claim 29

In a photocopier having an illuminating station where the image borne by an original document is scanned, and a copy paper feed path including an electrostatic charging station, an imaging station where the original document image is projected from the illuminating station onto copy paper withdrawn from a supply roll to create a latent electrostatic image thereon, and a developing station for developing and fixing the latent electrostatic image on the copy paper, apparatus comprising, in combination: A. a carriage for the original document, said carriage mounted for reciprocation to move the original document through the illuminating station; B. a reversible drive mechanism selectively coupled to drive said carriage through a forward stroke from a home position to a transfer position at a first rate and through a copy stroke from said transfer position back to said home position at a second, slower rate during each copy cycle, the movement of said carriage during said copy stroke being such that the original document moves through the illuminating station in synchronism with the movement of copy paper through the imaging station; C. first sensing means responsive to the arrival of said carriage at said transfer position to condition said drive mechanism to immediately drive said carriage through said copy stroke; D. second sensing means responsive to the return of said carriage to said home position to condition said drive mechanism to drive said carriage through said forward stroke upon the initiation of a next copy cycle; E. a first switch positioned along the path of reciprocating carriage movement and actuated by passage of said carriage during said forward stroke to initiate feeding of the copy paper; and F. a second switch positioned along said path and actuated by passage of said carriage during said copy stroke to initiate severance of a sheet length of coPy paper from the supply roll and termination of copy paper feed.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 11, which further includes a copy paper length selector slidably mounted by said carriage; said selector carrying an arm for actuating said second switch and being selectively positioned to provide a desired copy paper sheet length.

Claim 31

In a photocopier having an illuminating station where the image borne by an original document is scanned, and a copy paper feed path including an electrostatic charging station, and imaging station where the original document image is projected from the illuminating station onto a moving copy paper sheet to create a latent electrostatic image thereon, and a developing station for developing and fixing the latent electrostatic image on the copy paper sheet, apparatus comprising, in combination: A. a carriage for the original document, said carriage mounted for reciprocation to move the original document through the illuminating station; B. a reversible drive mechanism selectively coupled to drive said carriage through a forward stroke from a home position to a transfer position at a first rate and through a copy stroke from said transfer position back to said home position at a second, slower rate during each copy cycle, the movement of said carriage during said copy stroke being such that the original document moves through the illuminating station in synchronism with the movement of the copy sheet through the imaging station, said mechanism including

Claim 32

In a photocopier having an illuminating station where the image borne by an original document is scanned, and a copy paper feed path including an electrostatic charging station, and imaging station where the original document image is projected from the illuminating station onto a moving copy paper sheet to create a latent electrostatic image thereon, and a developing station for developing and fixing the latent electrostatic image on the copy paper sheet, apparatus comprising, in combination: A. a carriage for the original document, said carriage mounted for reciprocation to move the original document through the illuminating station; B. a reversible drive mechanism selectively coupled to drive said carriage through a forward stroke from a home position to a transfer position at a first rate and through a copy stroke from said transfer position back to said home position at a second, slower rate during each copy cycle, the movement of said carriage during said copy stroke being such that the original document moves through the illuminating station in synchronism with the movement of the copy sheet through the imaging station, said mechanism including

Claim 33

The apparatus defined in claim 13, wherein said first and second sensing means are actuated to condition said transmission to decouple said chain loop from the photocopier drive train substantially at the moment said pin arrives at the point on either of said sprocket peripheries where its direction of movement parallel to said path reverses, whereby said carriage is brought to rest at said home and transfer positions, said first sensing means further operating after said carriage comes to rest at said transfer position to immediately condition said transmission to recouple said chain loop to the copier drive train and drive said carriage through said copy stroke.

Claim 34

The apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein said transmission includes a first solenoid operating when energized to shift said transmission to a forward drive condition for driving said carriage through said forward stroke and a second solenoid operating when energized to shift said transmission to a reverse drive condition for driving said carriage through said copy stroke, said second sensing means, while said carriage is in said home position, enabling energization of said first solenoid upon closure of a copy cycle switch and said fiRst sensing means, while said carriage is in said transfer position, operating to de-energize said first solenoid and immediately energize said second solenoid.

Claim 35

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said first and second sensing means are actuated upon engagement by said pin.

Claim 36

In a photocopier, apparatus comprising in combination: A. a carriage accommodating an original document and mounted for reciprocating movement through an illuminating station located intermediate a home carriage position and a transfer carriage position; B. a drive mechanism; C. a continuous, elongated drive element drivingly coupled to said drive mechanism and extending along the path of reciprocating movement of said carriage; and D. means drivingly connecting said drive element to said carriage, said connecting means including

Claim 37

In a photocopier, apparatus comprising in combination: A. a carriage accommodating an original document and mounted for reciprocating movement through an illuminating station located intermediate a home carriage position and a transfer carriage position; B. a drive mechanism; C. a continuous, elongated drive element drivingly coupled to said drive mechanism and extending along the path of reciprocating movement of said carriage; and D. means drivingly connecting said drive element to said carriage, said connecting means including

Claim 38

The apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein said drive element comprises a chain loop engaged by sprockets stationed adjacent said home and transfer positions, and A. said first member comprises a pin secured to a point on said chain loop moving in the chain loop half between said sprockets nearest said path; and B. said second member comprises a link carried by said carriage, said link formed having a slot for receiving said pin to provide said lost motion connection,