US3733068A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Dual stack to common path document feed apparatus and method
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1971-06-28
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Granted: 1973-05-15
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Expires: 1991-06-28
Abstract
Abstract A compact, dual-hopper document-handling mechanism selectively feeds documents from either hopper into a common path. The width of the system is reduced to less than three times the width of a document because each hopper overhangs one of the sides of a common cornering station so that the bottom document in each hopper overhangs the cornering station. A vacuum attracts the overhanging portion of the bottom document in each hopper towards the cornering station. A document support interposed between the documents and the cornering station bedplate prevents at least one of the document from resting on feed means below the overhanging portion of each hopper. One of the documents is selected by positioning the document support to permit the vacuum to draw the selected document downward to rest on the feed means. The feed means is actuated to feed the selected document into the cornering station from the hopper, while the other feed means is rendered inoperative. A transport means then delivers the document from the cornering station into the common path.
Inventors
- 👤 G Herring
- 👤 K Reid
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 09:57
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H3/00; B65H3/08; B65H1/00; B65H1/04; B65H1/06; B65H3/44
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A compact mechanism for handling documents comprising: a cornering station having the width of the documents to be transported; two document hoppers, each overhanging the cornering station; the width of the cornering station and the two hoppers being less than three times the width of the documents to be transported; selecting means for selecting a document from one of the hoppers and feeding it into the cornering station while rendering the other hopper inoperative, and; transport means for delivering the selected card form the cornering station into a common document path.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
91 words
A compact mechanism for handling documents comprising: a cornering station having the width of the documents to be transported; two document hoppers, each overhanging the cornering station; the width of the cornering station and the two hoppers being less than three times the width of the documents to be transported; selecting means for selecting a document from one of the hoppers and feeding it into the cornering station while rendering the other hopper inoperative, and; transport means for delivering the selected card form the cornering station into a common document path.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
76 words
The mechanism of claim 1 wherein: the cornering station is defined by a bedplate and two document-edge guides, one guide on each side of the bedplate, and; the selecting means is comprised of a vacuum means for attracting at least the selected document toward the bedplate, a control means to prevent the unselected document from being attracted to the bedplate, and a feed means for feeding the selected document from the stack into the cornering station.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
83 words
The mechanism of claim 2 wherein the vacuum means attracts the bottom document in each hopper toward the bedplate and the selecting means further comprises: a document support interposed between the attracted documents and the feed means for preventing the attracted documents from resting on the feed means, and; means for selectively moving the document support to a position permitting the vacuum means to move the selected document toward the feed means, while preventing the unselected document from moving toward the feed means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
The mechanism of claim 3 wherein: the bottom of each hopper is inclined with respect with the bedplate; a support edge on each hopper bottom plate supports the documents at a mid point, and; the bottom document in each stack is warped downwardly by the vacuum means and into contact with the document support.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
61 words
The mechanism of claim 3 wherein the document support is a frame member disposed between the attracted documents and the bedplate and said frame member is selectively actuatable to move further under the non-selected document and out from under the selected document to permit the selected document to be attracted toward the feed means, while preventing attraction of the unselected document.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
70 words
The mechanism of claim 3 wherein the feed means is comprised of: two counter-rotating driven feed roller sets one set under the overhanging portion of each hopper, and; presSure roller means cooperating with the feed rollers, the pressure roller means being selectively actuatable into a pinching relationship with either feed roller set to press the selected document against the feed roller set to feed the document into the cornering station.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The mechanism of claim 6 wherein the pressure roller means is comprised of one pressure roller for each feed roller.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
The mechanism of claim 6 wherein the transport means is comprised of: a driven transport roller, and; a cooperating transport pressure roller actuatable into a pinching relationship with the transport roller to press the selected document against the transport roller to deliver the document into the common path.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
213 words
A compact mechanism for handling documents comprising: a cornering station defined by a bedplate and two document-edge-guides, one guide on each side of the bedplate; two hoppers overhanging the cornering station, each for holding a stack of documents to be transported; a vacuum means for attracting the lower most document in each stack toward the cornering station bedplate; two sets of counter-rotating driven feed rollers below the cornering station bedplate; a document support interposed between the attracted documents and the feed rollers for preventing the attracted documents from resting on the feed rollers; means for selectively moving the document support to a position permitting the selected document to move toward the feed rollers; cooperating pressure roller means selectively actuatable into a pinching relationship with either set of feed roller to press the selected document against the corresponding set of feed rollers to feed the document into the cornering station; feed pressure roller actuation means for actuating the feed pressure roller means; a driven transport roller below the cornering station bedplate; a cooperating transport pressure roller actuatable into a pinching relationship with the transport roller to press the selected document against the transport to deliver the document into a common document path, and; transport pressure roller actuation means for actuating the transport pressure roller.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
213 words
A compact mechanism for handling documents comprising: a cornering station defined by a bedplate and two document-edge-guides, one guide on each side of the bedplate; two hoppers overhanging the cornering station, each for holding a stack of documents to be transported; a vacuum means for attracting the lower most document in each stack toward the cornering station bedplate; two sets of counter-rotating driven feed rollers below the cornering station bedplate; a document support interposed between the attracted documents and the feed rollers for preventing the attracted documents from resting on the feed rollers; means for selectively moving the document support to a position permitting the selected document to move toward the feed rollers; cooperating pressure roller means selectively actuatable into a pinching relationship with either set of feed roller to press the selected document against the corresponding set of feed rollers to feed the document into the cornering station; feed pressure roller actuation means for actuating the feed pressure roller means; a driven transport roller below the cornering station bedplate; a cooperating transport pressure roller actuatable into a pinching relationship with the transport roller to press the selected document against the transport to deliver the document into a common document path, and; transport pressure roller actuation means for actuating the transport pressure roller.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
96 words
A method of introducing documents into a common document path from either of two stacks overhanging a cornering station, comprising the steps of: applying a vacuum to the bottom document in each stack toward a feed means and into contact with a document support interposed between the documents and the feed means; moving the document support to a position permitting the document to be selected to move toward the feed means; feeding the selected document from the stack into the cornering station, and; delivering the selected document from the cornering station into the common document path.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
96 words
A method of introducing documents into a common document path from either of two stacks overhanging a cornering station, comprising the steps of: applying a vacuum to the bottom document in each stack toward a feed means and into contact with a document support interposed between the documents and the feed means; moving the document support to a position permitting the document to be selected to move toward the feed means; feeding the selected document from the stack into the cornering station, and; delivering the selected document from the cornering station into the common document path.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
120 words
A method of introducing documents into a common document path from either of two hoppers overhanging a cornering station, comprising the steps of: applying a vacuum to attract the bottom document in each hopper toward a driven feed rollers and into contact with a document support interposed between the documents and the feed rollers; moving the document to a position permitting the document to be selected to move toward the feed roller; applying pressure to the selected document to hold it in a driven relationship with the driven feed roller, thereby feeding the document from the hopper into the cornering station, and; pressing the selected document against a driven transport roller, thereby delivering the selected document into the common path.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
120 words
A method of introducing documents into a common document path from either of two hoppers overhanging a cornering station, comprising the steps of: applying a vacuum to attract the bottom document in each hopper toward a driven feed rollers and into contact with a document support interposed between the documents and the feed rollers; moving the document to a position permitting the document to be selected to move toward the feed roller; applying pressure to the selected document to hold it in a driven relationship with the driven feed roller, thereby feeding the document from the hopper into the cornering station, and; pressing the selected document against a driven transport roller, thereby delivering the selected document into the common path.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-05-14 | 1976-11-13 | 1977-05-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-05-14 | 1980-11-13 | 1981-05-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-05-14 | 1984-11-13 | 1985-05-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |