Automatic sheet-feeding device

Claim 2

An automatic sheet feed device having particular utility in a copying machine which is adapted to cut a sheet from a web or strip in roll form in accordance with the size of an original, comprising a. a web or strip in roll form, b. a cutter for cutting said strip, c. means for initiating advance of said strip in response to detection of advance of an original past a preselected point, d. a detection switch for detecting the trailing end of a moving original, and e. a plurality of switches disposed along the path of movement of at least one signal-transmitting element adapted to move in synchronism with the original but independently of the position of the trailing edge of said original and adapted to actuate each of said switches in succession to produce a signal to actuate said cutter, said plurality of switches being arranged in positions which correspond to a plurality of predetermined sizes of sheets and being actuable by said element independently of said trailing edge position, and any one of said plurality of switches which is first actuated by said signal-transmitting element following the detection of the trailing end of original by said detection switch being adapted to produce said signal to actuate said cutter.

Claim 3

An automatic sheet feed device as defined in claim 1 wherein said signal-transmitting element is the original itself and said plurality of switches are disposed along the path of the original, the distance between said detection switch for detecting the trailing end of the original and said plurality of switches corresponding to the predetermined sizes of sheets.

Claim 4

An automatic sheet feed device as defined in claim 1 further comprising a detection switch for detecting the leading end of the original which is adapted to cause the signal-transmitting element to move.

Claim 5

An automatic copy sheet feed device as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one signal-Transmitting element adapted to move in synchronism with the movement of the original is adapted to move with a rotary carrier as a unit as said detection switch for detecting the leading end of the original produces a signal, said rotary carrier rotating at a rate which is at a definite ratio with respect to the rate of movement of the original, said plurality of switches being disposed along the outer periphery of the rotary carrier.

Claim 6

In an automatic sheet-feeding device for cutting a sheet from an advancing strip of material as an original sheet having a leading edge and a trailing edge advances along a defined path, in combination, a. means for cutting said strip in response to an actuating signal; b. means for initiating advance of said strip in response to detection of advance of the leading edge of an original sheet past a preselected point in said path; c. means for producing a sequence of signals representative of progressively increasing predetermined sheet lengths in correspondence with successive predetermined increments of advance of said leading edge of said original sheet past said preselected point, said last-mentioned means being connected to actuate said cutting means and being switchable from a condition in which signals of said sequence do not actuate said cutting means to a condition in which any signal of said sequence actuates said cutting means; and d. means for detecting, and for switching said signal-producing means from said first-mentioned condition to said second-mentioned condition in response to, passage of the trailing end of said original sheet past a given point in said path, such that said cutting means is actuated by that signal of said sequence produced immediately subsequent to passage of said trailing end as aforesaid.

Claim 7

In an automatic sheet-feeding device for cutting a sheet from an advancing strip of material as an original sheet having a leading edge and a trailing edge advances along a defined path, in combination, a. means for cutting said strip in response to an actuating signal; b. means for initiating advance of said strip in response to detection of advance of the leading edge of an original sheet past a preselected point in said path; c. means for producing a sequence of signals representative of progressively increasing predetermined sheet lengths in correspondence with successive predetermined increments of advance of said leading edge of said original sheet past said preselected point, said last-mentioned means being connected to actuate said cutting means and being switchable from a condition in which signals of said sequence do not actuate said cutting means to a condition in which any signal of said sequence actuates said cutting means; and d. means for detecting, and for switching said signal-producing means from said first-mentioned condition to said second-mentioned condition in response to, passage of the trailing end of said original sheet past a given point in said path, such that said cutting means is actuated by that signal of said sequence produced immediately subsequent to passage of said trailing end as aforesaid.

Claim 8

A device as defined in claim 5, wherein said signal-producing means includes i. a plurality of signal-producing elements disposed in succession along a path of movement of an actuating element, and ii. means for advancing the actuating element along said last-mentioned path into successive actuating engagement with said signal-producing elements, said signal-producing elements being disposed along said last-mentioned path in positions respectively corresponding to progressively increasing sheet lengths.