Gravity-fed storage device

Claim 2

A gravity-fed storage device for storing and dispensing seriatim a plurality of substantially identical flat rectangular photoconductive elements having guide engaging means formed in lateral edges of such elements, the storage device comprising: first and second opposed side walls interconnected with third and fourth opposed front and rear walls, respectively, forming a parallelepiped storage compartment for a plurality of such elements, said compartment having rectangular offset upper aNd lower ends which are slightly larger than and correspond in configuration to the elements; guide means on said first and second opposed side walls and extending generally parallel to said third and fourth walls between said upper end and said lower end for engagement with the guide engaging means of such elements and cooperating with one of said third and fourth walls for maintaining such elements in a substantially horizontal position as they are fed through said compartment by gravity from said upper end to said lower end; supporting means on said guide means and on said rear wall adjacent to said lower end for releasably supporting elements within said compartment; means defining a slot at the upper end of said fourth wall for receiving elements seriatim into said compartment; and means defining an opening in the lower end of said compartment through which said elements can be dispensed seriatim, whereby said compartment and said guide means cooperate to provide an air cushion during gravity feed of such photoconductive elements.

Claim 3

A storage device, as claimed in claim 1, further including: means for engaging an element on said supporting means for moving it through said opening.

Claim 4

A storage device, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said supporting means include: a foot extending toward said third wall from each of said guides; and at least one foot extending from the lower end of said fourth wall toward said third wall; and said storage device further including: a spring detent extending from the lower end of said third wall to bias an element on said supporting means toward said fourth wall to hold said element on said feet and to deflect said element downwardly away from said feet when said element is moved by said moving means.

Claim 5

A storage device, as claimed in claim 1, further including: a pair of opposing upper and lower feed rollers adjacent said first opening, said rollers being axially offset from one another with said upper roller spaced farther from said first opening than said lower roller to hold each element fed by said rollers in a substantially horizontal plane over the upper ends of said guides to align the guide-engaging means with said guides.

Claim 6

A storage device, as claimed in claim 4 wherein: said element is magnetically attractible to said lower roller, said storage device further comprising: an idler roller spaced below said lower roller; and a non-magnetic endless belt extending around said lower roller and said endless roller to separate the trailing end of the element from said lower roller.

Claim 7

A gravity-fed storage device for storing and dispensing a plurality of flat photoconductive elements seriatim, the elements each having guide-engaging notches, the storage compartment including: first and second opposed side walls interconnected with third and fourth opposed front and rear walls, respectively, forming a parallelepiped storage compartment having offset upper and lower ends; a top wall interconnecting said side walls and said front wall but spaced above the upper end of said rear wall to form an entrance slot for said elements; a rail attached to each of said first and second opposed side walls adjacent said front wall and extending from a point spaced from said top wall to said lower end, the notches on the elements being engageable with said respective rails which cooperate with said rear wall to hold each element in substantially horizontal position as it is moved by gravity through said storage compartment; a foot on the lower end of each of said rails extending toward said front wall for supporting the elements; a lip extending from the lower end of said rear wall toward said front wall for supporting the trailing edge of an element, said lip having a central recess therein; a pair of opposing upper and lower feed rollers adjacent said entrance slot and positioned exteriorly of said storage compartment, said rollers being axially offset, said upper roller being spaced further from said slot than said lower roller to hold each element fed therebetween in a substantially horizontal plane to position each element over said rails so that the notches in the element will engage said rails, said lower roller being magnetic; an idler roller spaced below said lower roller; an endless non-magnetic belt extending around said lower roller and said endless roller to separate the trailing end of the element from the lower roller; a spring detent extending from the lower end of said front wall to retain an element on said feet and said lip; and a reciprocatable member mounted for movement through said recess to push the element off said feet and said lip, the leading edge of the element being deflectible downwardly by said spring detent to guide the element away from said feet.

Claim 8

A gravity-fed storage device for storing and dispensing a plurality of flat photoconductive elements seriatim, the elements each having guide-engaging notches, the storage compartment including: first and second opposed side walls interconnected with third and fourth opposed front and rear walls, respectively, forming a parallelepiped storage compartment having offset upper and lower ends; a top wall interconnecting said side walls and said front wall but spaced above the upper end of said rear wall to form an entrance slot for said elements; a rail attached to each of said first and second opposed side walls adjacent said front wall and extending from a point spaced from said top wall to said lower end, the notches on the elements being engageable with said respective rails which cooperate with said rear wall to hold each element in substantially horizontal position as it is moved by gravity through said storage compartment; a foot on the lower end of each of said rails extending toward said front wall for supporting the elements; a lip extending from the lower end of said rear wall toward said front wall for supporting the trailing edge of an element, said lip having a central recess therein; a pair of opposing upper and lower feed rollers adjacent said entrance slot and positioned exteriorly of said storage compartment, said rollers being axially offset, said upper roller being spaced further from said slot than said lower roller to hold each element fed therebetween in a substantially horizontal plane to position each element over said rails so that the notches in the element will engage said rails, said lower roller being magnetic; an idler roller spaced below said lower roller; an endless non-magnetic belt extending around said lower roller and said endless roller to separate the trailing end of the element from the lower roller; a spring detent extending from the lower end of said front wall to retain an element on said feet and said lip; and a reciprocatable member mounted for movement through said recess to push the element off said feet and said lip, the leading edge of the element being deflectible downwardly by said spring detent to guide the element away from said feet.