Device for temporarily rendering a conveyed sheet material impervious to the action of conveyor means

Claim 2

In a facsimile system including means for establishing an electrostatic latent image on sheet material while intermittently advancing the sheet material, a sheet material conveyor device disposed at a locality immediately beyond said image-establishing means for receiving intermittently advancing sheet material from said image-establishing means and conveying the material therefrom while imparting continuous motion to the material, including conveyor means comprising endless belts, a pair of belt rollers over which said belts are trained, and a sheet suction box disposed between upper and lower runs of the endless belts for conveying a sheet material by the endless belts while attracting the sheet material to the endless belts by the action of the suction box, a device for temporarily rendering a conveyed sheet material impervious to the action of conveyor means at said locality, said device comprising a. sheet material lifting means disposed at said locality, comprising at least two members disposed alongside and adjacent edges of said endless belts and aligned with the direction of movement thereof, b. drive means acting on at least one end of said sheet material lifting means for moving the sheet lifting means between a stand-by position in which the sheet material lifting means is disposed at a level below that of the upper run of the endless belts and an operative position in which the sheet material lifting means is disposed at a level above that of the upper run of the endless belts, and c. drive control means adapted to be energized upon receiving instructions for rendering said drive means operative to move said sheet material lifting means between said two positions.

Claim 3

A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sheet material lifting means comprises wires; and further comprising means including a plurality of springs respectively connected to one end of each of said wires, for maintaining said wires under tension throughout movement thereof between said stand-by and operative positions.

Claim 4

A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a pair of pivotal levers, and a support rod supported by said pair of pivotal levers for supporting said sheet material lifting means, so that the sheet material lifting means is moved between the stand-by position and the operative position through the agency of said support rod.

Claim 5

A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive control means is a solenoid.

Claim 6

A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said device is disposed anterior to conveyor roller means for conveying one charged photosensitive sheet after another to said conveyor means.

Claim 7

A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said device is disposed anterior to conveyor roller means for intermittently conveying one electrostatic recording sheet after another to said conveyor means.

Claim 8

In a facsimile system including means for establishing an electrostatic latent image on sheet material while intermittently advancing the sheet material and means for developing the image established on the sheet material while the material is advancing in continuous motion therethrough, a sheet material conveying device disposed at a locality immediately beyond said image-establishing means for receiving intermittently advancing sheet material from said image-establishing means and conveying the material therefrom while imparting continuous motion to the material, comprising a. conveyor means comprising i. at least one endless belt having a first run for engaging and conveying sheet material to advance the sheet material through and beyond said locality, and a second run, and ii. roller means for drivably supporting said one belt; b. a suction box disposed between said runs of said belt for attracting sheet material toward the first run; c. at least two elongated members extending in the direction of advance of the belt adjacent opposite sides of said first run for engaging a surface of sheet material advancing on said first run at said locality; d. drive means engaging said elongated members adjacent an end of said conveyor means for moving said members between an inner position in which said members are disposed inwardly of the surface of said first belt run for permitting sheet material to engage said first run, and an outer position in which said members hold sheet material in outwardly spaced relation to said first run thereby to receive intermittently advancing sheet material from said image-establishing means while holding the material away from the belt; and e. drive control means for actuating said drive means to move said members between said inner and outer positions in response to a control instruction.

Claim 9

In a facsimile system including means for establishing an electrostatic latent image on sheet material while intermittently advancing the sheet material and means for developing the image established on the sheet material while the material is advancing in continuous motion therethrough, a sheet material conveying device disposed at a locality immediately beyond said image-establishing means for receiving intermittently advancing sheet material from said image-establishing means and conveying the material therefrom while imparting continuous motion to the material, comprising a. conveyor means comprising i. at least one endless belt having a first run for engaging and conveying sheet material to advance the sheet material through and beyond said locality, and a second run, and ii. roller means for drivably supporting said one belt; b. a suction box disposed between said runs of said belt for attracting sheet material toward the first run; c. at least two elongated members extending in the direction of advance of the belt adjacent opposite sides of said first run for engaging a surface of sheet material advancing on said first run at said locality; d. drive means engaging said elongated members adjacent an end of said conveyor means for moving said members between an inner position in which said members are disposed inwardly of the surface of said first belt run for permitting sheet material to engage said first run, and an outer position in which said members hold sheet material in outwardly spaced relation to said first run thereby to receive intermittently advancing sheet material from said image-establishing means while holding the material away from the belt; and e. drive control means for actuating said drive means to move said members between said inner and outer positions in response to a control instruction.

Claim 10

A device as defined in claim 7, including a plurality of spaced parallel endless belts each having a first run and a second run as aforesaid; and wherein said members comprise a plurality of wires interposed between and extending parallel to the first runs of adjacent ones of said belts.

Claim 11

In a sheet material conveying device, a. conveyor means comprising i. a plurality of spaced endless parallel belts each having a first run for engaging and conveying sheet material, and a second run, and ii. roller means for drivably supporting said belts; b. a suction box disposed between said runs of said belts for attracting sheet material toward the first runs; c. a plurality of elongated wires extending in the direction of advance of the belts, interposed between and extending parallel to the first runs of adjacent ones of said belts for engaging a surface of sheet material advancing on said first runs; d. drive means engaging said elongated wires adjacent an end of said conveyor means for moving said wires between an inner position in which said wires are disposed inwardly of the surface of said first belt runs for permitting sheet material to engage said first runs, and an outer position in which said wires hold sheet material in outwardly spaced relation to said first runs, said drive means comprising a rod extending transversely of and engaging said wires adjacent one end of said conveyor means, and means mounting said rod for pivotal movement about an axis spaced from and parallel to said rod to effect movement of said wires between said inner and outer positions as aforesaid, said Wires being trained over said rod; e. means for exerting tension on said wires; and f. drive control means for actuating said drive means to move said wires between said inner and outer positions in response to a control instruction, said drive control means comprising means for effecting pivotal movement of said rod as aforesaid.

Claim 12

In a sheet material conveying device, a. conveyor means comprising i. a plurality of spaced endless parallel belts each having a first run for engaging and conveying sheet material, and a second run, and ii. roller means for drivably supporting said belts; b. a suction box disposed between said runs of said belts for attracting sheet material toward the first runs; c. a plurality of elongated wires extending in the direction of advance of the belts, interposed between and extending parallel to the first runs of adjacent ones of said belts for engaging a surface of sheet material advancing on said first runs; d. drive means engaging said elongated wires adjacent an end of said conveyor means for moving said wires between an inner position in which said wires are disposed inwardly of the surface of said first belt runs for permitting sheet material to engage said first runs, and an outer position in which said wires hold sheet material in outwardly spaced relation to said first runs, said drive means comprising a rod extending transversely of and engaging said wires adjacent one end of said conveyor means, and means mounting said rod for pivotal movement about an axis spaced from and parallel to said rod to effect movement of said wires between said inner and outer positions as aforesaid, said Wires being trained over said rod; e. means for exerting tension on said wires; and f. drive control means for actuating said drive means to move said wires between said inner and outer positions in response to a control instruction, said drive control means comprising means for effecting pivotal movement of said rod as aforesaid.

Claim 13

In a sheet material conveying device, a. conveyor means defining a path of advance of sheet material and comprising i. at least one endless belt having a first run for engaging and conveying sheet material, and a second run, and ii. roller means for drivably supporting said one belt; b. a suction box disposed between said runs of said belt for attracting sheet material toward the first run; c. at least two elongated members extending in the direction of advance of the belt adjacent opposite sides of said first run for engaging a surface of sheet material advancing on said first run; d. drive means engaging said elongated members adjacent an end of said conveyor means for moving said members between an inner position in which said members are disposed inwardly of the surface of said first belt run for permitting sheet material to engage said first run, and an outer position in which said members hold sheet material in outwardly spaced relation to said first run but subject to attraction by said suction box such that the sheet material is held by suction against said elongated members; e. drive control means for actuating said drive means to move said members between said inner and outer positions in response to a control instruction; and f. means, disposed ahead of said conveyor means in the path of advance of sheet material, for delivering successive individual sheets of said material to said conveyor means in a direction parallel to major surfaces of the delivered sheets.

Claim 14

In a sheet material conveying device, a. conveyor means defining a path of advance of sheet material and comprising i. at least one endless belt having a first run for engaging and conveying sheet material, and a second run, and ii. roller means for drivably supporting said one belt; b. a suction box disposed between said runs of said belt for attracting sheet material toward the first run; c. at least two elongated members extending in the direction of advance of the belt adjacent opposite sides of said first run for engaging a surface of sheet material advancing on said first run; d. drive means engaging said elongated members adjacent an end of said conveyor means for moving said members between an inner position in which said members are disposed inwardly of the surface of said first belt run for permitting sheet material to engage said first run, and an outer position in which said members hold sheet material in outwardly spaced relation to said first run but subject to attraction by said suction box such that the sheet material is held by suction against said elongated members; e. drive control means for actuating said drive means to move said members between said inner and outer positions in response to a control instruction; and f. means, disposed ahead of said conveyor means in the path of advance of sheet material, for delivering successive individual sheets of said material to said conveyor means in a direction parallel to major surfaces of the delivered sheets.

Claim 15

A device as defined in claim 10, wherein said elongated members are thin flexible members, and further including means for maintaining said flexible members under tension throughout movement of said members between said inner and outer positions as aforesaid.

Claim 16

A device as defined in claim 11, including a plurality of spaced parallel endless belts each having a first run and a second run as aforesaid, and wherein said thin flexible members comprise a plurality of members interposed between and parallel to the first runs of adjacent ones of said belts.