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US3737230A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Web transport systems for copying machines

Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding BV
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Filing: 1971-11-30
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Granted: 1973-06-05
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Expires: 1991-11-30
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Abstract

Abstract A copying apparatus having a processing zone in which images are formed on a continuous light-sensitive web and then transferred from it to copy material is provided with two such webs which extend and are moved simultaneously between holding means, e.g., one or two rotary winding spools or other web storage devices, and take-up means such as one or two rotary spools, and with displaceable means which engage leads of said webs so as to guide one of them through the processing zone and thence to the take-up means or the holding means while the other web is being moved directly to the latter and which, upon being displaced to a second working position with reversal of the direction of movement of the webs, will guide the other web through the processing zone and thence to the holding means or the take-up means while passing the one web directly back to the latter. The displaceable guide means may be constituted by a hollow structure, such as a slotted cylindrical drum or a series of rollers in an angular arrangement, which has a lateral opening for the web leads, is rotatable through an angle of at most 360*, has rotary spool means mounted therewithin, and has the processing zone disposed about its outer periphery. In apparatus having a rectilinear or slightly curved processing zone, the guide means may comprise a set of rollers displaceable between working positions at opposite ends of such zone.

Inventors

  • 👤 Meijel H Van
  • 👤 Beek G Van

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 20:38
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/75; G03G15/751; G03G15/752; G03G15/22; G03G15/28; G03G15/30

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 134 words
A copying apparatus comprising a processing zone having disposed therealong processing means for forming images on a continuous web of light-sensitive or sensitizable material and for transferring such images to copy material, means for holding a stock of two such webs, means disposed away from said holding means for taking up said two webs, means respectively for feeding said webs simultaneously from said holding means to said take-up means and for feeding them simultaneously in the return direction, and displaceable guide means to engage leads of said webs between said holding means and said take-up means and having two working positions in one of which it guides one only of said webs through said processing zone and in the other of which it guides only the other of said webs through said processing zone.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 134 words
A copying apparatus comprising a processing zone having disposed therealong processing means for forming images on a continuous web of light-sensitive or sensitizable material and for transferring such images to copy material, means for holding a stock of two such webs, means disposed away from said holding means for taking up said two webs, means respectively for feeding said webs simultaneously from said holding means to said take-up means and for feeding them simultaneously in the return direction, and displaceable guide means to engage leads of said webs between said holding means and said take-up means and having two working positions in one of which it guides one only of said webs through said processing zone and in the other of which it guides only the other of said webs through said processing zone.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 91 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, said web feeding means being operative to draw both of said webs to said take-up means while said guide means is in said one position and to draw both of said webs to said holding means while said guide means is in said other position, whereby said other web is moved to a position for being used while said one web is being used for copying and said one web is returned to a position for reuse while said other web is being used for copying.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 106 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, said displaceable guide means comprising a rotatable hollow structure having mounted therewithin rotary spool means constituting said holding means or said take-up means, having said processing zone disposed about the outer periphery thereof, and having a lateral opening through which respective leads of said webs extend from said spool means, said structure being rotatable through an angle of at most 360* between two fixed positions thereof in one of which only said one web, and in the other of which only said other web, extends from said opening about said periphery and thence to said take-up means on said holding means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 37 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, said opening being bounded along opposite sides thereof by rounded surfaces of said structure, upon which surfaces said web leads pass during movement thereof between said holding means and said take-up means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 38 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, said opening being bounded along opposite sides thereof by rollers rotatably mounted in said structure, upon which rollers said web leads pass during movement thereof between said holding means and said take-up means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 28 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, said rotatable hollow structure being a cylindrical drum having a smooth outer surface exerting little frictional resistance to movement of said webs thereover.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 40 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, said rotatable hollow structure having an angular cross-section and being defined by web guiding rollers at the corners thereof, at least some of the elements of said processing means being disposed opposite to said rollers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 29 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, said spool means being a single spool for taking up said two webs simultaneously, said holding means being disposed outside said rotatable hollow structure.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 46 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, said spool means comprising two spools inside said structure, one for holding and unwinding or winding each of said webs, said take-up means comprising a single spool outside said structure for simultaneously winding or unwinding said webs in concentric relation thereon.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 43 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, said processing zone having a substantially rectilinear or slightly curved disposition, said displaceable guide means comprising a set of rollers movable along said zone between said working positions which are located respectively at opposite ends of said zone.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 79 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, said holding means and said take-up means each comprising a single rotary spool for winding or unwinding said two webs simultaneously in concentric relation, and web positioning rollers respectively engaging said web leads between said guide means and one of said spools, said rollers being displaceable from one to another of two positions to compensate for differences of tHe lengths of said web leads which exist in said two positions of said guide means.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

No citation records indexed.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1976-06-04 1976-12-04 1977-06-05 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1980-06-04 1980-12-04 1981-06-05 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1984-06-04 1984-12-04 1985-06-05 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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