Sheet catch tray for automatic sheet feeding apparatus

Claim 2

A sheet catch tray for an automatic sheet feeding apparatus comprising a housing, sheet separation fingers which depress both front corners of the sheets contained in said tray, a sheet receiving plate which is loosely dropped down to the bottom of the housing, openings formed in the bottom of said housing through which supporting posts are upwardly inserted to support the forward portion of said sheet receiving plate and a protrusion formed between the bottom of said housing and said sheet receiving plate to support the back portion of said sheet receiving plate, said protrusion being located at such a position so that the pressure of said sheet separation fingers against the sheets becomes a suitable pressure so as to separate a single sheet from the stack of sheets when said sheet receiving plate and the back bottom surface of said housing are supported by said supporting posts and a housing support member, respectively, and the front portion of said housing is suspended by said sheet separation fingers, and wherein the protrusion is positioned so that the rear portion of the sheet receiving plate contacts the bottom of the housing when said housing is oscillated upon a fulcrum of the contact portion between the housing and the housing support member, and the point of gravity action of said sheets is transferred from said protrusion to the back portion of said housing when said sheet separation fingers are lowered in accordance with the decrease of the height of the stack of sheets, whereby the pressure of said sheet separation fingers is maintained at a suitable pressure so as to separate a single sheet from the stack of sheets.

Claim 3

A sheet catch tray for an automatic feeding apparatus comprising: a housing having openings formed in the bottom thereof; sheet separation finger means mounted on said housing for depressing both front corners of sheets disposed in said tray and for supporting the front portion of said housing in its mounted position; a sheet receiving plate loosely supported on the bottom of said housing; supporting means, including a post member inserted through said openings in said housing for supporting the forward portion of said sheet receiving plate and a housing support member contacting the bottom of said housing at the outside thereof; and means for ensuring the application of a pressure of said sheet separation finger means against said sheets for separating a single sheet from a stack of sheets when said sheet receiving plate and said housing are supported by said supporting means and the front portion of said housing is suspended by said sheet separation finger means, comprising a protrusion member disposed between the bottom interior of said housing and said sheet receiving plate and being displaced with respect to the point of contact of said housing support member with said housing, wherein said protrusion member is positioned so that the rear portion of the sheet receiving plate contacts the bottom of the housing when said housing is rotated about a fulcrum of the contact point between the housing and said housing support member, and the point of gravity action of said sheets is transferred from said protrusion to the back portion of said housing when said sheet separation fingers are lowered in accordance with the decrease of the height of said sheets, whereby pressure of said sheet separation finger means is maintained so as to separate a single sheet from a plurality of sheets in a stack on said sheet receiving plate.

Claim 4

A sheet catch tray for an automatic feeding apparatus comprising: a housing having openings formed in the bottom thereof; sheet separation finger means mounted on said housing for depressing both front corners of sheets disposed in said tray and for supporting the front portion of said housing in its mounted position; a sheet receiving plate loosely supported on the bottom of said housing; supporting means, including a post member inserted through said openings in said housing for supporting the forward portion of said sheet receiving plate and a housing support member contacting the bottom of said housing at the outside thereof; and means for ensuring the application of a pressure of said sheet separation finger means against said sheets for separating a single sheet from a stack of sheets when said sheet receiving plate and said housing are supported by said supporting means and the front portion of said housing is suspended by said sheet separation finger means, comprising a protrusion member disposed between the bottom interior of said housing and said sheet receiving plate and being displaced with respect to the point of contact of said housing support member with said housing, wherein said protrusion member is positioned so that the rear portion of the sheet receiving plate contacts the bottom of the housing when said housing is rotated about a fulcrum of the contact point between the housing and said housing support member, and the point of gravity action of said sheets is transferred from said protrusion to the back portion of said housing when said sheet separation fingers are lowered in accordance with the decrease of the height of said sheets, whereby pressure of said sheet separation finger means is maintained so as to separate a single sheet from a plurality of sheets in a stack on said sheet receiving plate.