Automatic document handling device

Claim 2

An automatic document processing, feeding and handling system comprising: means providing a document feed path, meanS for feeding a document into said path, means for driving said document along said feed path to a processing device, means provided at said processing device for retaining said document in position in response to proper positioning of said document at said processing device, means cycling said processing device for processing said document, document removal means responsive to completion of processing for removing said document from said processing device, and an electrically actuated mechanism having a linkage occupying a first position causing activation of said means for retaining and a second position for releasing said means for retaining, said second position further actuating said document removal means, and said first position disengaging said document removal means.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 further including a first switching means positioned in proximity to said document and said document retaining means, said first switching means responsive to the buckling of said document caused by said driving means overdriving said document against said document retaining means for disengaging said means for driving said document.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 wherein said means for retaining said document includes a document bearing surface extending at least the width of said document relative to said feed path, said means for driving including a single roller set coacting with said document for exerting drive force thereon at a single point along an axis transverse to the direction of said document.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 3 including a second roller set positioned in tandem with said first set.

Claim 6

An automatic document feeding and processing device comprising: first means for feeding a document or the like along a feed path, a processing drum including document retention means having a document bearing surface, means responsive to a first signal for rotating said drum until said document retention means is positioned along the document feed path, second means for driving said document into said retention means along said document bearing surface, third means responsive to a first signal indicating proper positioning of said document with respect to said retention means for disengaging said first and second means and activating a fourth means, said fourth means causing said retention means to retain said document against said processing drum, fifth means responsive to a second signal indicating proper document retention for causing said drum to cycle and process said document, said fourth means responsive to completion of said cycle for releasing said retention means and removing said document, said fourth means including a pickoff mechanism for removing a document from said drum and conveying said document along a document removal path, switching means in said removal path and responsive to the presence of a document thereon to indicate proper removal of a document from said drum prior to initiation of the next operating cycle.

Claim 7

An automatic document feeding and processing device comprising: first means for feeding a document or the like along a feed path, a processing drum including document retention means having a document bearing surface, means responsive to a first signal for rotating said drum until said document retention means is positioned along the document feed path, second means for driving said document into said retention means along said document bearing surface, third means responsive to a first signal indicating proper positioning of said document with respect to said retention means for disengaging said first and second means and activating a fourth means, said fourth means causing said retention means to retain said document against said processing drum, fifth means responsive to a second signal indicating proper document retention for causing said drum to cycle and process said document, said fourth means responsive to completion of said cycle for releasing said retention means and removing said document, said fourth means including a pickoff mechanism for removing a document from said drum and conveying said document along a document removal path, switching means in said removal path and responsive to the presence of a document thereon to indicate proper removal of a document from said drum prior to initiation of the next operating cycle.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 5 wherein said document originates from a source of documents and said source includes a document stacking tray having a plurality of documents, and said first means includes a feed belt for feeding a document from the bottom of said tray along said feed path, and a document retard mechanism for inhibiting the feeding of documents other than the said bottom document along said feed path.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 5 wherein said document retention means includes a gripper mechanism having an arm and a retaining leaf mounted thereon, said gripper mechanism positioned with said drum and including a spring biasing said gripper mechanism in a normally retracted position.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 5 wherein said means for retaining said document includes a document bearing surface extending at least the width of said documents relative to said feed path, said means for driving including a single roller set coating with said document for exerting drive force thereon at a singLe point along an axis transverse to the direction of said document.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 8 including a second roller set positioned in tandem with said first set.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 5 wherein said third means includes switching means responsive to a buckle condition of said document resulting from the drive force of said second mean against said document bearing surface.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 10 wherein said switching means includes a plurality of switches each having an extended actuation arm, each switch actuable in response to pressure applied to said arm, means positioning each of said switches above said document feed path by a height relative to each said arm and said feed path sufficient to accommodate a variation in buckle height representative of document misalignment.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 5 wherein said device includes a movable carriage including document processing means mounted thereon and operative in conjunction with said document for effecting said processing and further including means for driving said carriage from an initial position to a final position for said processing, and means for returning said carriage from said final position to said initial position.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 12 wherein said carriage includes limit switching for determining said initial and final position, said limit switching including a first limit switch corresponding to said initial position, and a second limit switch corresponding to said final position, a cable, said cable coupled to said carriage and movable therewith, a cable block mounted on said cable and having movement therewith between a first position representing the initial position of said carriage and a second position representing the final position of said carriage, and position means for mounting said first limit switch in proximity to said first position of said cable block for activation thereby, and for mounting said second limit switch in proximity to said second position of said cable block for activation thereby, said first and second position distance thereby defining the traverse of said carriage.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 13 wherein said position means including said limit switches are adjustable to the dimension of a document transverse to said feed path.

Claim 17

An automatic document feeding and processing device comprising, a source location for documents, first means for feeding documents from said source along a feed path, second means positioned along said feed path for driving said document toward a processing drum, said processing drum including a retention mechanism for retaining said document against said drum and including a document bearing surface adapted to receive the length of the leading edge of said document along said document bearing surface from said second means, said document having a predetermined length with respect to said feed path, first switching means positioned along said feed path for disengaging said first means for feeding in response to the presence of a document at said second means, said second means including first and second tandem roller sets for driving said document, said second means driving said document against said bearing surface causing a buckle condition in said document, second switching means responsive to said buckle condition for disengaging said second means, and allowing said retention mechanism to retain said document, means for cycling said drum and processing said document, third means responsive to completion of said processing for releasing said retention mechanism and engaging a pickoff mechanism, said pickoff mechanism including a plurality of pickoff rollers engageable with the trailing edge of said document and transporting said document along a document eject path, and a second switching means positioned along said document eject path for providing a signal indicating removal of said document from said drum, said first means responsive to said signal as a condition for activation Of said first means.

Claim 18

An automatic document feeding and processing device comprising, a source location for documents, first means for feeding documents from said source along a feed path, second means positioned along said feed path for driving said document toward a processing drum, said processing drum including a retention mechanism for retaining said document against said drum and including a document bearing surface adapted to receive the length of the leading edge of said document along said document bearing surface from said second means, said document having a predetermined length with respect to said feed path, first switching means positioned along said feed path for disengaging said first means for feeding in response to the presence of a document at said second means, said second means including first and second tandem roller sets for driving said document, said second means driving said document against said bearing surface causing a buckle condition in said document, second switching means responsive to said buckle condition for disengaging said second means, and allowing said retention mechanism to retain said document, means for cycling said drum and processing said document, third means responsive to completion of said processing for releasing said retention mechanism and engaging a pickoff mechanism, said pickoff mechanism including a plurality of pickoff rollers engageable with the trailing edge of said document and transporting said document along a document eject path, and a second switching means positioned along said document eject path for providing a signal indicating removal of said document from said drum, said first means responsive to said signal as a condition for activation Of said first means.

Claim 19

The combination of claim 15 wherein said device includes a movable carriage operable between an initial and final position and having document processing stations thereon, and said third means includes means for returning said carriage to its initial position.

Claim 20

The combination of claim 16 wherein said means for returning said carriage includes means operable between a first position and a second position, said first position coupling a first drive source to said carriage for causing said carriage to move from said initial to said final position and said second position coupling a second drive source to said carriage for causing said carriage to move from said final position to said initial position.

Claim 21

The combination of claim 17 wherein said carriage includes limit switching for determining said inital and final position, said limit switching including a first limit switch corresponding to said final position, a cable, said cable coupled to said carriage and movable therewith, a cable block mounted on said cable and having movement therewith between a first position representing the initial position of said carriage, and position means for mounting said first limit switch in proximity to said first position of said cable block for activation thereby, and for mounting said second limit switch in proximity to said position of said cable block for activation thereby, said first and second position distance thereby defining the traverse of said carriage.

Claim 22

The combination of claim 18 wherein said position means including said limit switches are adjustable to the dimension of a document transverse to said feed path.

Claim 23

A document feeding and processing device comprising first means for feeding a document along a document feed path to a processing station, second means responsive to proper positioning of said document at said station for disengaging said first means, third means engagable for retaining said document at said processing station for processing said document, fourth means engagable for removing said document from said station after processing, and fifth means responsive to a first condition for engaging said third means while disengaging said fourth means and to a second condition for disengaging said third means while engaging said fourth means.

Claim 24

A document feeding and processing device comprising first means for feeding a document along a document feed path to a processing station, second means responsive to proper positioning of said document at said station for disengaging said first means, third means engagable for retaining said document at said processing station for processing said document, fourth means engagable for removing said document from said station after processing, and fifth means responsive to a first condition for engaging said third means while disengaging said fourth means and to a second condition for disengaging said third means while engaging said fourth means.

Claim 25

The combination of claim 20 wherein said third means includes a retractable document gripping mechanism including a retractable arm and a document engaging leaf said arm movable between a first position for disengaging a document with said leaf and a second position for engagement of a document, said fourth means includes a document removal path formed by a frame member, said frame member pivotal about a fixed point from a first position engagable with a document at said processing station and a second position remote from said processing station, and said fifth means includes a linkage arm movable between a first position and a second position, said fifth means first position resulting in placing said third and fourth means in their respective first positions and said fifth means second position resulting in placing said third and fourth means in their respective second positions.

Claim 26

The combination of claim 21 wherein said fifth means further includes a solenoid, said solenoid including said linkage arm and being electrically actuatable for movement between said linkage arm first and second positions.

Claim 27

The combination of claim 22 wherein said solenoid includes a shaft, said shaft having coupled thereto a first and a second linkage arm, each of said linkage arms actuable between said first and second linkage arm positions and each of said linkage arms being coupled to opposite ends of said third and fourth means.

Claim 28

The combination of claim 20 wherein said device includes a movable carriage including document processing means mounted thereon and operative in conjunction with said document for effecting said processing and further including means for drivinG said carriage from an initial position to a final position for said processing, and means for returning said carriage from said final position to said initial position.

Claim 29

The combination of claim 24 wherein said carriage includes limit switching for determining said initial and final position, said limit switching including a first limit switch corresponding to said initial position, and a second limit switch corresponding to said final position, a cable, said cable coupled to said carriage and movable thereiwith, a cable block mounted on said cable and having movement therewith between a first position representing the initial position of said carriage and a second position representing the final position of said carriage, and position means for mounting said first limit switch in proximity to said first position of said cable block for activation thereby, and for mounting said second limit switch in proximity to said second position of said cable block for activation thereby, said first and second position distance thereby defining the traverse of said carriage.

Claim 30

The combination of claim 25 wherein said position means including said limit switches are adjustable to the dimension of a document transverse to said feed path.