Abstract An apparatus comprising a document guide portion for receiving the document face up while permitting the operator to read the document therethrough, first drive means for forcibly driving the document received therein, a document reversing guide formed with a document passage by which the document driven by the drive means is turned face down at one end of the document table, second drive means disposed at the outlet of the document passage and including driven rollers rollingly engageable with the document under the torque thereof due to gravity to drive the document onto a document table glass at a higher circumferential speed than the first drive means, third drive means rollingly engageable with the document under gravity and to be driven at a higher circumferential speed than the second drive means, and fourth drive means disposed at the terminal end of the document table glass and including driven rollers rollingly engageable with the document under gravity, the fourth drive means being drivable at a higher circumferential speed than the third drive means only in the normal direction and idly rotatable in the reverse direction. With timing controlled by an electromagnetic mechanism, the driven rollers of the second drive means and the third drive means are rollingly engageable with elements to be thereby engaged. Thus they come into rolling contact with the elements under gravity when the document has reached the interior of the document reversing guide and are supported at positions away from the document upon the document reaching the fourth drive means.
An apparatus for feeding an elongated document to an electrophotographic copier or the like comprising: a pair of front and rear side plates mounted on the document table of the copier, a document guide portion made of a transparent material and pivotally supported at its one end by the side plates for receiving the document face up, first drive means for forcibly driving the document received in the guide portion, a document reversing guide disposed on one end of the document table and formed with a document passage for passing the document forcibly driven by the drive means, the document passage being curved to turn the document face down, second drive means disposed at a lower end outlet of the document passage to send out the document from the document passage face down along a document table glass, the drive means including second drive rollers to be driven at a higher circumferential speed than the first drive means in the same direction and second driven rollers rollingly engageable with the second drive rollers under the torque thereof due to gravity to nip the document, third drive means rollingly engageable with the document travelling on the document table glass under the torque thereof due to gravity and to be driven at a higher circumferential speed than the second drive rollers in the same direction, and fourth drive means disposed at the terminal end of the document table glass and including fourth drive rollers to be driven by way of a one-way clutch at a higher circumferential speed than the third drive means only in the normal direction and idly rotatable in the reverse direction and fourth driven rollers rollingly engageable with the fourth drive rollers under gravity to nip the document therebetween.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
291 words
An apparatus for feeding an elongated document to an electrophotographic copier or the like comprising: a pair of front and rear side plates mounted on the document table of the copier, a document guide portion made of a transparent material and pivotally supported at its one end by the side plates for receiving the document face up, first drive means for forcibly driving the document received in the guide portion, a document reversing guide disposed on one end of the document table and formed with a document passage for passing the document forcibly driven by the drive means, the document passage being curved to turn the document face down, second drive means disposed at a lower end outlet of the document passage to send out the document from the document passage face down along a document table glass, the drive means including second drive rollers to be driven at a higher circumferential speed than the first drive means in the same direction and second driven rollers rollingly engageable with the second drive rollers under the torque thereof due to gravity to nip the document, third drive means rollingly engageable with the document travelling on the document table glass under the torque thereof due to gravity and to be driven at a higher circumferential speed than the second drive rollers in the same direction, and fourth drive means disposed at the terminal end of the document table glass and including fourth drive rollers to be driven by way of a one-way clutch at a higher circumferential speed than the third drive means only in the normal direction and idly rotatable in the reverse direction and fourth driven rollers rollingly engageable with the fourth drive rollers under gravity to nip the document therebetween.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
82 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first drive means includes a feed belt drive shaft extending between and supported by the side plates, a paper width adjusting shaft and feed belts reeved around the shafts, the feed belts being supported on the shafts position-adjustably in the axial direction of the shafts and formed on their surfaces with projections at equal spacing to the perforations of the document, the projections being engageable in the perforations to drive the document.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
174 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: 2 A first microswitch having a driven member positioned at a suitable portion of the document passage to operate upon detection of the document, a second microswitch having a driven member positioned at the outlet of the fourth drive means to operate upon detection of the document, and an electromagnetic mechanism operable under the control of the first and second microswitches and normally supporting the second driven rollers and the third drive means at positions away from the second drive rollers and the document table glass with which they are rollingly engageable respectively, such that when the first microswitch detects the document the mechanism frees the second driven rollers and the third drive means from its support to bring the same into rolling engagement with the corresponding elements with which they are rollingly engageable and when the second microswitch detects the document the mechanism disengages the second driven rollers and the third drive means from the corresponding elements to support the same in position.