Sheet feeding apparatus

Claim 2

Sheet feeding apparatus comprising an elongate spring, said spring comprising an elongate medial portion, a shaft-supporting portion connected to one end of said medial portion and shaped to securely support a pressure roller shaft, an elongate hub connected to the other end of said medial portion and having its axis parallel to the axis of said roller shaft held by said shaft supporting portion, mounting means for locating said hub on a member of a sheet feeding machine, and adjusting means for adjustably locating said hub on said mounting means for varying the pressure on said roller shaft said adjusting means including a first series of serrations on one end of said hub arranged concentrically about the hub axis.

Claim 3

Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes detenting means for locking said hub in a fixed position from rotational movement.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said detenting means is a pin mounted on said member.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said hub is adjustable rotationally about its axis, said hub and serrations are elastic, said pin is fixed on said member and in mesh with said serrations, and said hub is provided with a first opening to facilitate flexing of said serrations whenever the hub is rotated.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said member is provided with a second opening, and said mounting means includes a spring collet connected coaxially with said hub and lockingly inserted into said second opening so as to rotatably fasten said hub to said member axially.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said medial portion has a section of reduced area to facilitate flexing of said medial portion.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said medial portion and shaft-supporting portion are bifurcated to facilitate flexing of said medial portion.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 7 characterized further by the provision of an auxiliary elongate spring anchored at one end of said hub and with its free end biased against said one end of said medial portion.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said detenting means is a second series of serrations on said member.

Claim 11

Sheet feeding apparatus comprising an elongate circular hub, means for securing said hub to a supporting member of a sheet feeding machine, a spring comprising an elongate medial portion, a shaft-supporting portion connected to one end of said medial portion and provided with pairs of jaws for yieldably securely supporting a roller shaft, and an elongate sleeve connected to the other end of said medial portion and having its axis normal to the longitudinal axis of said medial portion and slidably mountable on said hub, one of said hub and sleeve members provided with a first series of serrations and the other of said hub and sleeve members provided with detenting means engaged in said serrations when the sleeve is mounted on the hub, said hub having a split collet at one end and a circular bead on the outside of the hub encircling said split collet and having a larger diameter than the inside diameter Of said sleeve, said sleeve having an internal circular recess of substantially the same diameter as the bead which contains the bead to lock the sleeve axially on the hub when the sleeve is mounted on the hub.

Claim 12

Sheet feeding apparatus comprising an elongate circular hub, means for securing said hub to a supporting member of a sheet feeding machine, a spring comprising an elongate medial portion, a shaft-supporting portion connected to one end of said medial portion and provided with pairs of jaws for yieldably securely supporting a roller shaft, and an elongate sleeve connected to the other end of said medial portion and having its axis normal to the longitudinal axis of said medial portion and slidably mountable on said hub, one of said hub and sleeve members provided with a first series of serrations and the other of said hub and sleeve members provided with detenting means engaged in said serrations when the sleeve is mounted on the hub, said hub having a split collet at one end and a circular bead on the outside of the hub encircling said split collet and having a larger diameter than the inside diameter Of said sleeve, said sleeve having an internal circular recess of substantially the same diameter as the bead which contains the bead to lock the sleeve axially on the hub when the sleeve is mounted on the hub.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said spring is made of an acetal resin.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said shaft-supporting portion is provided with an elongate bore for nesting a roller shaft and pairs of elastic jaws extending normal to the axis of said bore, the distance between the jaws of each pair of jaws being less than the diameter of said shaft so as to permit said shaft to be snapped into and retained in said bore.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said detenting means is a second series of serrations.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said medial portion has a section of reduced area to facilitate flexing of said medial portion.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said medial portion and shaft-supporting portion are bifurcated to facilitate flexing of said medial portion.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 15 characterized further by the provision of an auxiliary elongate spring anchored at one end to said sleeve with its free end biased against said one end of said medial portion.