US3756488A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Magazine for zigzag-folded photoconductive belt for indirect electrophotography
Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding BV
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Filing: 1972-02-16
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Granted: 1973-09-04
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Expires: 1992-02-16
Abstract
Abstract A magazine is provided for receiving, storing a stack of and delivering successive sections of a long endless belt of flexible photoconductive sheet material which is pre-folded in zigzag manner for use in indirect electrophotographic copying processes. Oppositely disposed upright guide walls which, in downward direction, converge inwardly to a delivery opening between their lower ends define a storage space holding a large number of the zigzag-folded belt sections stacked one upon another in upwardly bowed postures with their respective folds disposed on opposite portions of the guide walls, so that a length of the belt extending through a processing path from the ends of the stack may easily be drawn continuously from the bottom thereof and redeposited in zigzag folds onto the top thereof. Successive folds entering the top of the magazine are alternately disposed on and pressed down along the opposite guide walls. Threshold members at the delivery opening and/or resilient members bearing elastically against opposite sides of the stack aid in maintaining the folded belt sections in the required upwardly bowed postures.
Inventors
- 👤 Megen H Van
- 👤 W Janssen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 00:02
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B21/00; G03B21/14; G03B21/32; G06; G06K; G06K13/00; G06K13/18; G06K13/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
223 words
A magazine for receiving, storing and delivering portions of a continuous belt of flexible photoconductive sheet material prefolded in zigzag manner so that the successive sections thereof between the folds thereof are stackable one upon another, comprising two oppositely disposed upright guide structures defining therebetween a space for storing a stack composed of a large number of said sections disposed one upon another; an opening at the bottom of said structures for delivery of said belt; means for propelling said belt through said opening from the lower end of said stack; and means engaging a portion of said belt at the top of said structures for depositing said belt onto said stack; said guide structures being spaced apart at an upper level of said space by a distance less than a length of each said section and having respective, oppositely disposed inner surfaces converging each toward the other, with each of said surfaces curved smoothly inwardly toward the center line of said space, from said upper level downward to lower end portions of said surfaces at the level of said delivery opening, so that said sections may be stacked in said space in upwardly bowed postures with their respective folds disposed on opposite portions of said inner surfaces and will be increasingly bowed upwardly as their respective folds progress downwardly on said surfaces.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
223 words
A magazine for receiving, storing and delivering portions of a continuous belt of flexible photoconductive sheet material prefolded in zigzag manner so that the successive sections thereof between the folds thereof are stackable one upon another, comprising two oppositely disposed upright guide structures defining therebetween a space for storing a stack composed of a large number of said sections disposed one upon another; an opening at the bottom of said structures for delivery of said belt; means for propelling said belt through said opening from the lower end of said stack; and means engaging a portion of said belt at the top of said structures for depositing said belt onto said stack; said guide structures being spaced apart at an upper level of said space by a distance less than a length of each said section and having respective, oppositely disposed inner surfaces converging each toward the other, with each of said surfaces curved smoothly inwardly toward the center line of said space, from said upper level downward to lower end portions of said surfaces at the level of said delivery opening, so that said sections may be stacked in said space in upwardly bowed postures with their respective folds disposed on opposite portions of said inner surfaces and will be increasingly bowed upwardly as their respective folds progress downwardly on said surfaces.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
A magazine according to claim 1, said inner surfaces having greater inward curvature at their lower end portions than at any higher level.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
A magazine according to claim 1, further comprising means for positioning successive folds of said belt downwardly along opposite portions oF said inner surfaces as the folds are deposited in said space, so that each belt section between two successive folds will be layed in upwardly curved posture upon a stack of said sections bowed upwardly in said space.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
91 words
A magazine according to claim 3, said positioning means comprising a rail member movable up and down along the inside of each of said guide structure and means operable in synchronism with said belt depositing means for alternately moving one of said rail members downwardly to press down along one of said structures a fold of said belt just deposited in said space while moving the other of said rail members upwardly to a position above the next fold of said belt as the latter is being deposited in said space.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
A magazine according to claim 1, said guide structures having on their respective lower ends and bordering said delivery opening threshold members each of which presents a curved surface extending upwardly from the lower end of said inner surface of the related guide structure to arrest a fold of the lowermost of said stacked sections.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
A magazine according to claim 5, said threshold members each being hinged for movement from a belt delivery position in which its said surface lies approximately normal to the lower end portion of said inner surface of the related guide structure to a stack-supporting position in which its said surface lies at an acute angle thereto.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
68 words
A magazine according to claim 6, and means for moving said threshold members in opposite phase between said positions thereof in correlation with delivery of said belt from said stack, so that the one of said members over which a fold of the belt is being pulled from said space will be in its belt delivery position while the other of said members is in its stack-supporting position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
74 words
A magazine according to claim 1, further comprising resilient members bearing against and elastically exerting friction on the opposite side edges of said stacked sections for retarding downward movement of portions of said stacked sections between the respective folds thereof so as to support such sections in upwardly bowed postures, said resilient members bearing against such side edges with greater force at the lower sections of the stack than at the upper sections thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
A magazine according to claim 1, further comprising brushes mounted between said guide structures and respectively having bristles bearing elastically against the opposite side edges of said stacked sections for retarding downward movement of portions of said stacked sections between the respective folds thereof so as to support such sections in upwardly bowed postures.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
58 words
A magazine according to claim 9, said brushes being mounted so that their respective bristles are substantially parallel to each other, said bristles increasing in length from the top towards the bottom of said brushes so that they exert greater force on edges of the lower sections of the stack than on edges of the top sections thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3123269A
Cited
US3464610A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-09-03 | 1977-03-05 | 1977-09-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-09-03 | 1981-03-05 | 1981-09-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-09-03 | 1985-03-05 | 1985-09-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |