US3749239A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Document transport and stacking device and system
Assignee: Optical Recognition Systems Inc
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Filing: 1972-05-25
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Granted: 1973-07-31
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Expires: 1992-05-25
Abstract
Abstract A transporting and stacking device for flexible sheet members such as documents in which a plurality of fingers are disposed for rotation about a cylindrical surface and are displaceable at a predetermined position in a flexible sheet transport path between a relatively open position for accepting the sheet members and a relatively closed position for gripping the members and transporting them about the cylindrical surface. The flexible sheet members are pulled around the cylindrical surface at their leading edges by the fingers and are released from the fingers by a stacking means located a predetermined distance around the cylindrical surface. A wait stop means is provided which causes each finger to wait out of the document transport path until a signal is provided which causes the finger to move to the predetermined position in the document transport path at which it accepts a document. A document reading and sorting system including a device for reading markings on documents and a plurality of transporting and stacking devices for sorting the documents in accordance with the markings read from the documents. The sorting system operates in an asynchronous mode in which a document sensing device located close to the transporting and stacking devices determines when the fingers arrive at the predetermined position in the document transport path.
Inventors
- 👤 J Holdway
- 👤 R Tyburski
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 22:50
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K13/00; G06K13/02; G06K13/08; G06K13/12; B; B65; B65H; B65H29/00; B65H29/02; B65H29/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A device for transporting flexible sheet members comprising: a cylindrical member having an outside cylindrical surface, a plurality of fingers disposed for rotation about said outside cylindrical surface and being displaceable between a relatively open position for accepting said flexible sheet members and a relatively closed position for gripping said flexible sheet members against said outside cylindrical surface, means for rotating said fingers about said outside cylindrical surface, means at a predetermined location for displacing said fingers between said relatively open position and said relatively closed position, and wait station means located a predetermined distance from said means for displacing for stopping the rotation of said fingers before they arrive at said predetermined location.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
114 words
A device for transporting flexible sheet members comprising: a cylindrical member having an outside cylindrical surface, a plurality of fingers disposed for rotation about said outside cylindrical surface and being displaceable between a relatively open position for accepting said flexible sheet members and a relatively closed position for gripping said flexible sheet members against said outside cylindrical surface, means for rotating said fingers about said outside cylindrical surface, means at a predetermined location for displacing said fingers between said relatively open position and said relatively closed position, and wait station means located a predetermined distance from said means for displacing for stopping the rotation of said fingers before they arrive at said predetermined location.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
85 words
The device of claim 1 wherein said means for displacing said fingers between said relatively open and said relatively closed positions comprises stop means displaceable between a first position in which the rotation of said fingers about said outside cylindrical surface is blocked and a second position in which the rotation of said fingers is not blocked, said fingers being arranged to move to said open position when their movement is blocked and to move to said closed position when their movement is not blocked.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
The device of claim 2 wherein said wait station means comprises second stop means which is displaceable between a first position in which the rotation of said fingers about said surface is blocked and a second position in which the rotation of said fingers is not blocked.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
The device of claim 3 wherein said stop means and said second stop means are arranged so that when said stop means is in said first position said second stop means is in said second position and when said stop means is in said second position said second stOp means is in said first position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The device of claim 4 further including common means for moving said stop means and said second stop means between said first and second positions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The device of claim 5 wherein said stop means and said second stop means comprise projections disposed on different faces of the same member, said common means for moving being connected to said member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The device of claim 6 wherein said common member includes a shaft having a motion transmitting member connected eccentrically thereto, and wherein said means for moving includes said motion transmitting member and a motion producing member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The device of claim 7 wherein said motion producing member is a solenoid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device of claim 7 wherein said shaft is mounted for limited rotation in a housing which includes a limit means for abutting one of said projections when said first or second stop means is in one of said first or second positions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
86 words
The device of claim 2 wherein said fingers comprise a relatively flexible gripper portion and a displacer portion, said fingers being pivoted for opening and closing about a pivot point located between said gripper portion and said displacer portion, said fingers being biased to said closed position and being displaceable to said open position about said pivot point by the force of said stop means against said displacer portion when the movement of said displacer portion about said cylindrical member is blocked by said stop means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
51 words
The device of claim 10 wherein each of said plurality of fingers is located at one end of an arm and wherein each finger is biased to said closed position by a biasing means located between the finger and a projection located on the arm on which the finger is located.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device of claim 11 wherein the other ends of all of said arms are disposed about a shaft at different levels thereof, said arms being shaped so that all of said arms are at the same level at said one ends thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device of claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said fingers includes means for allowing at least one finger to continue rotating when the rotation of another of said plurality of fingers is blocked.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
The device of claim 13 wherein said means for allowing comprises friction clutch means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
The device of claim 14 wherein each of said fingers is located at one end of each of a plurality of arms wherein the other end of said arms are located at said friction clutch means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The device of claim 15 wherein said friction clutch means is disposed at the center of said cylindrical member.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
The device of claim 1 wherein said cylindrical member is rotatable and wherein said means for rotating said fingers includes said cylindrical member.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device of claim 17 in combination with abuttment means located adjacent said cylindrical surface in the path of said fingers for removing said sheet members from said fingers.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
134 words
A device for transporting flexible sheet members out of a predetermined path in which they are moving comprising; a cylindrical member having an outside cylindrical surface, a plurality of fingers disposed for rotation about said outside cylindrical surface and being displaceable between a relatively open position for accepting said flexible sheet members and a relatively closed position for gripping said flexible sheet members against said outside cylindrical surface, means for rotating said fingers about said cylindrical surface, means for displacing said fingers at a predetermined location in said document transport path between said relatively open position and said relatively closed position, and stop means for said fingers located a predetermined distance from said means for displacing for stopping said fingers out of said transport path before said fingers arrive at said means for displacing.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
134 words
A device for transporting flexible sheet members out of a predetermined path in which they are moving comprising; a cylindrical member having an outside cylindrical surface, a plurality of fingers disposed for rotation about said outside cylindrical surface and being displaceable between a relatively open position for accepting said flexible sheet members and a relatively closed position for gripping said flexible sheet members against said outside cylindrical surface, means for rotating said fingers about said cylindrical surface, means for displacing said fingers at a predetermined location in said document transport path between said relatively open position and said relatively closed position, and stop means for said fingers located a predetermined distance from said means for displacing for stopping said fingers out of said transport path before said fingers arrive at said means for displacing.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
229 words
A system for sorting documents in accordance with markings on said documents comprising: means for reading said markings on said documents, means fOr conveying said documents along a document transport path to a plurality of sorting means adjacent said document transport path, each of said sorting means including at least one gripper means for gripping one of said documents in said document transport path when activated and transporting it out of said document transport path, each of said sorting means further including first and second rest means for said gripper means, said gripper means being out of said document transport path when it is at said first rest means and being in said document transport path when it is at second rest means, means responsive to said means for reading for causing a gripper means at one of said sorter means selected in accordance with said markings read to be at said second rest means when a document arrives at said selected sorting means and for causing a gripper means at said other of said plurality of said sorting means to be at said first rest means when said document passes said other sorting means, whereby when said gripper means of said selected sorting means is activated when a document arrives at said selected sorting means, said document will be transported by it out of said document transport path.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
229 words
A system for sorting documents in accordance with markings on said documents comprising: means for reading said markings on said documents, means fOr conveying said documents along a document transport path to a plurality of sorting means adjacent said document transport path, each of said sorting means including at least one gripper means for gripping one of said documents in said document transport path when activated and transporting it out of said document transport path, each of said sorting means further including first and second rest means for said gripper means, said gripper means being out of said document transport path when it is at said first rest means and being in said document transport path when it is at second rest means, means responsive to said means for reading for causing a gripper means at one of said sorter means selected in accordance with said markings read to be at said second rest means when a document arrives at said selected sorting means and for causing a gripper means at said other of said plurality of said sorting means to be at said first rest means when said document passes said other sorting means, whereby when said gripper means of said selected sorting means is activated when a document arrives at said selected sorting means, said document will be transported by it out of said document transport path.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 20 wherein said gripper means comprises a finger which is open in said document transport path when it is at said second rest means and which is closed when activated.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3531108A
Cited
US3663014A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-07-30 | 1977-01-29 | 1977-07-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-07-30 | 1981-01-29 | 1981-07-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-07-30 | 1985-01-29 | 1985-07-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |