Pneumatic transport track

Claim 2

A transport track for a document handling apparatus comprising: a base member having a top surface; a wall member having a transport surface that is located above said base member and is oriented substantially perpendicular to said top surface and comprising: a plenum; a plurality of pairs of associated transport air jet holes and entrainment air jet holes in said transport surface and coupled to said plenum; each transport air jet hole oriented along a direction line that is directed downstream of said track at an acute angle to both said top surface and said transport surface; each entrainment air jet hole aligned offset from the direction line of the associated transport air jet hole and upstream therefrom and along a direction line that is approximately perpendicular to said transport surface; said wall member and said base member being uniformily, vertically spaced apart to form an air escape opening along the intersection of the projection of the planes of their operative transport and top surfaces for permitting air from said transport air jets and said entrainment air jets to escape therethrough backwardly of said transport surface.

Claim 3

The transport track of claim 1 wherein said transport air jet holes and said entrainment air jet holes are round holes of substantially 0.042 inch Dia. and 0.020 inch Dia., respectively.

Claim 4

The transport track of claim 1 wherein said wall member and said base member are uniformily, vertically spaced apart for a distance that substantially encompasses the spacing of said air jet holes along the length of said track.

Claim 5

The transport track of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the diameter of said transport air jet hole to the diameter of said entrainment air jet hole is substantially 2 to 1.

Claim 6

A transport track for a document handling apparatus comprising: a base member; a wall member having a transport surface and comprising: a plenum; a plurality of pairs of associated transport air jet holes and entrainment air jet holes in said transport surface and coupled to said plenum; each transport air jet hole oriented along a direction line that is directed downstream of said track at an angle phi of substantially 15* with said transport surface; each entrainment air jet hole aligned offset from the direction line of the associated transport air jet hole and upstream a distance D of substantially 0.50 inch therefrom and along a direction line that is at an angle phi of substantially 90* with said transport surface; said wall member and said base member forming an air escape opening for permitting air from said transport air jet and said entrainment air jet to escape therethrough.

Claim 7

A transport track for a document handling apparatus comprising: a base member; a wall member having a transport surface and comprising: a plenum; a plurality of pairs of associated transport air jet holes and entrainment air jet holes in said transport surface and coupled to said plenum; each transport air jet hole oriented along a direction line that is directed downstream of said track at an angle phi of substantially 15* with said transport surface; each entrainment air jet hole aligned offset from the direction line of the associated transport air jet hole and upstream a distance D of substantially 0.50 inch therefrom and along a direction line that is at an angle phi of substantially 90* with said transport surface; said wall member and said base member forming an air escape opening for permitting air from said transport air jet and said entrainment air jet to escape therethrough.

Claim 8

A transport track for a document handling apparatus comprising: a wall member having a transport surface and comprising: a plenum; a plurality of pairs of associated transport air jet holes and entrainment air jet holes in said transport surface and coupled to said plenum; each transpOrt air jet hole oriented along a direction line that is directed downstream of said track at an angle phi that is less than 90* with said transport surface; each entrainment air jet hole aligned offset from the direction line of the associated transport air jet hole and upstream a distance D therefrom and along a direction line that is at an angle theta with said transport surface; a base member having a top surface; said wall member and said base member forming an air escape opening for permitting air from said transport air jet and said entrainment air jet to escape therethrough, said top surface and said transport surface being oriented substantially orthogonally in the area of said air escape opening and wherein said top surface has a concavely arcuate portion directed upwardly toward said wall member in the area of said air escape opening.

Claim 9

A transport track for a document handling apparatus comprising: a wall member having a transport surface and comprising: a plenum; a plurality of pairs of associated transport air jet holes and entrainment air jet holes in said transport surface and coupled to said plenum; each transpOrt air jet hole oriented along a direction line that is directed downstream of said track at an angle phi that is less than 90* with said transport surface; each entrainment air jet hole aligned offset from the direction line of the associated transport air jet hole and upstream a distance D therefrom and along a direction line that is at an angle theta with said transport surface; a base member having a top surface; said wall member and said base member forming an air escape opening for permitting air from said transport air jet and said entrainment air jet to escape therethrough, said top surface and said transport surface being oriented substantially orthogonally in the area of said air escape opening and wherein said top surface has a concavely arcuate portion directed upwardly toward said wall member in the area of said air escape opening.

Claim 10

The transport track of claim 6 wherein said wall member in the area of said concavely arcuate portion has a convexly arcuate portion extending from said transport surface into an upwardly directed chamfered portion across said concavely arcuate portion for directing air from said air escape opening in an upwardly directed direction away from said transport surface and said top surface.

Claim 11

A transport track for a document handling apparatus comprising: a base member; a wall member having a transport surface and comprising: a plenum; a plurality of pairs of associated transport air jet holes and entrainment air jet holes in said transport surface and coupled to said plenum; each transport air jet hole oriented along a direction line that is directed downstream of said track at an angle phi that is less than 90* with said transport surface; each entrainment air jet hole aligned offset from the direction line of the associated transport air jet hole and upstream a distance D therefrom and along a direction line that is at an angle theta with said transport surface; said wall member and said base member forming an air escape opening for permitting air from said transport air jet and said entrainment air jet to escape therethrough; said pairs of associated air jet holes being oriented along two lines that are parallel to said top surface in the area of said air escape opening; the transport air jet holes along a first one of said lines being all oriented in a downward direction toward said top surface and in a downstream direction; the transport air jet holes along the second one of said lines being alternately oriented in a downward and upward direction toward and away from said top surface, respectively, and in a downstream direction.

Claim 12

A transport track for a document handling apparatus comprising: a base member; a wall member having a transport surface and comprising: a plenum; a plurality of pairs of associated transport air jet holes and entrainment air jet holes in said transport surface and coupled to said plenum; each transport air jet hole oriented along a direction line that is directed downstream of said track at an angle phi that is less than 90* with said transport surface; each entrainment air jet hole aligned offset from the direction line of the associated transport air jet hole and upstream a distance D therefrom and along a direction line that is at an angle theta with said transport surface; said wall member and said base member forming an air escape opening for permitting air from said transport air jet and said entrainment air jet to escape therethrough; said pairs of associated air jet holes being oriented along two lines that are parallel to said top surface in the area of said air escape opening; the transport air jet holes along a first one of said lines being all oriented in a downward direction toward said top surface and in a downstream direction; the transport air jet holes along the second one of said lines being alternately oriented in a downward and upward direction toward and away from said top surface, respectively, and in a downstream direction.

Claim 13

A transport track for a document handling apparatus comprising: a long wall member having a planar transport surface and comprising: a plenum; a plurality of pairs of associated transport air jet holes and entrainment air jet holes in said transport surface and coupled to said plenum; each transport air jet hole oriented along a direction line that is directed downstream of said track at an angle phi that is between 0* and 90* to said transport surface; each entrainment air jet hole aligned offset from the direction line of the associated transport air jet hole and upstream a distance D therefrom and along a direction line that is at an angle theta of approximately 90* to said transport surface; a long base member located below said wall member and having a planar top surface; said top surface and said transport surface being uniformily, vertically spaced apart to form at the junction of the projection of the planes of said top surface and said transport surface along the length of said track in the area of said pairs of associated transport air jet holes and entrainment air jet holes an air escape opening for directing air from said air jet holes therethrough and drawing the bottom edge of a transported document toward said transpOrt surface said top surface and said transport surface are oriented substantially perpendicularly in the area of said air escape opening.

Claim 14

A transport track for a document handling apparatus comprising: a long wall member having a planar transport surface and comprising: a plenum; a plurality of pairs of associated transport air jet holes and entrainment air jet holes in said transport surface and coupled to said plenum; each transport air jet hole oriented along a direction line that is directed downstream of said track at an angle phi that is between 0* and 90* to said transport surface; each entrainment air jet hole aligned offset from the direction line of the associated transport air jet hole and upstream a distance D therefrom and along a direction line that is at an angle theta of approximately 90* to said transport surface; a long base member located below said wall member and having a planar top surface; said top surface and said transport surface being uniformily, vertically spaced apart to form at the junction of the projection of the planes of said top surface and said transport surface along the length of said track in the area of said pairs of associated transport air jet holes and entrainment air jet holes an air escape opening for directing air from said air jet holes therethrough and drawing the bottom edge of a transported document toward said transpOrt surface said top surface and said transport surface are oriented substantially perpendicularly in the area of said air escape opening.

Claim 15

The transport track of claim 9 wherein said top surface has a concavely arcuate portion directed upwardly toward said wall member in the area of said air escape opening.

Claim 16

The transport track of claim 10 wherein said wall member in the area of said concavely arcuate portion has a convexly arcuate portion extending from said transport surface into an upwardly directed chamfered portion across said concavely arcuate portion for directing air from said opening in an upwardly directed direction away from said top surface and backwardly from said transport surface.