US3894624A — Left and right document aligning apparatus for of…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 355 words

A document aligning apparatus for an office machine having a platen and a chute means for positioning a document relative to the platen at either one of two laterally opposed sides of the chute means, comprising: first aligning means for aligning a document at one of the opposed sides of said chute means so as to position one edge of the document in parallel relationship with a printing line on said platen; second aligning means for aligning a document at the remaining one of said opposed sides of said chute means so as to position one edge of the document in parallel relationship with said printing line; selection means for selecting one of said aligning means to be actuated; and actuating means for actuating the selected one of said aligning means, to thereby position said one edge of the associated document in parallel relationship with said printing line; each said first and second aligning means comprising: a plurality of aligner bar means spaced along said platen with each said aligner bar means having an aligner bar pivotally mounted thereon and resiliently biased to a skewed position relative to said printing line, and a switch means associated therewith; and compression roll means for gripping a document inserted in the chute means; said actuating means comprising, for each said aligning means: a first actuating shaft means for moving said aligner bars from a non-blocking to a blocking position in said chute means where one edge of a document being inserted therein abut against said aligner bars; each said aligner bar, when moved to a position substantially parallel to said printing line by said edge of said document, being effected to close its associated switch means; second actuating shaft means which are energized upon the closing of at least two of said switch means for pushing said aligner bars and said document a short distance in a direction out of said chute means to an aligned position whereby said edge is accurately aligned parallel to said printing line; and third actuating shaft means for energizing said compression roll means to grip said aligned document in said aligned position.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 355 words

A document aligning apparatus for an office machine having a platen and a chute means for positioning a document relative to the platen at either one of two laterally opposed sides of the chute means, comprising: first aligning means for aligning a document at one of the opposed sides of said chute means so as to position one edge of the document in parallel relationship with a printing line on said platen; second aligning means for aligning a document at the remaining one of said opposed sides of said chute means so as to position one edge of the document in parallel relationship with said printing line; selection means for selecting one of said aligning means to be actuated; and actuating means for actuating the selected one of said aligning means, to thereby position said one edge of the associated document in parallel relationship with said printing line; each said first and second aligning means comprising: a plurality of aligner bar means spaced along said platen with each said aligner bar means having an aligner bar pivotally mounted thereon and resiliently biased to a skewed position relative to said printing line, and a switch means associated therewith; and compression roll means for gripping a document inserted in the chute means; said actuating means comprising, for each said aligning means: a first actuating shaft means for moving said aligner bars from a non-blocking to a blocking position in said chute means where one edge of a document being inserted therein abut against said aligner bars; each said aligner bar, when moved to a position substantially parallel to said printing line by said edge of said document, being effected to close its associated switch means; second actuating shaft means which are energized upon the closing of at least two of said switch means for pushing said aligner bars and said document a short distance in a direction out of said chute means to an aligned position whereby said edge is accurately aligned parallel to said printing line; and third actuating shaft means for energizing said compression roll means to grip said aligned document in said aligned position.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 54 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a stop bar positioned parallel to said printing line to provide a stop for said aligner bars when said aligner bars are moved said short distance out of said chute means to thereby accurately align said aligner bars parallel to said printing line.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 103 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further including a stationary rod, and in which each said aligner bar means further comprises: a pushing lever having one of said aligner bars and associated switch means mounted on one end thereof; said pushing lever having an elongated slot therein located between the ends of the pushing lever with said stationary rod passing therethrough to pivotally mount said pushing lever thereon; and spring means to resiliently pivot said pushing lever so as to move the associated aligner bar into said blocking position and to urge said aligner bar to move said short distance.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 154 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which each said pushing lever has a short rod mounted on an end thereof which is opposite to said one end having said switch means thereon; and in which said first actuating shaft means comprises: a first actuating shaft pivotally mounted in a frame means of said apparatus, for movement between first and second positions; a plurality of first arms fixed to said first actuating shaft to rotate therewith, with one arm being provided for each said pushing lever to engage the associated short rod thereon to hold the pushing lever in said non-blocking position when said first actuating shaft is in said first position and to release said pushing lever when the first actuating shaft is moved to said second position to permit said associated spring means to pivot the pushing lever and thereby move the associated aligner bar into said blocking position.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 141 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which said second actuating shaft means comprises: a second actuating shaft pivotally mounted in said frame means for movement between first and second positions; and a plurality of second arms fixed to said second actuating shaft to rotate therewith, with one arm being provided for each said pushing lever to engage the associated short rod thereon to hold the pushing lever in a first position when said second actuating shaft is in said first position and to release said pushing lever when the second actuating shaft is moved to said second position to permit said associated spring means to move the associated aligner bar said short distance to a second position where the aligner bar abuts against said stop bar to thereby align a document pushed thereby with said printing line.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 199 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which said compression roll means comprises: an auxiliary feed roll mounted in parallel relationship with said platen; a plurality of bell crank levers pivotally mounted in said frame means and spaced along the length of said platen; each said crank lever having a compression roll on one end thereof and a rod on the remaining end thereof; and a spring means to urge the compression roll into engagement with said feed roll; said third actuating shaft means comprising: a third actuating shaft pivotally mounted in said frame means for movement between first and second positions; and a plurality of third arms fixed to said third actuating shaft to rotate therewith, with one such arm being provided for each said crank lever to engage the associated rod thereon to hold the associated compression roll away from said feed roll when said third actuating shaft is in said first position and to permit the associated spring means to pivot said crank lever when said third actuating shaft is moved to said second position to thereby move the associated compression roll into engagement with said feed roll to grip a document therebetween.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 138 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which said selection means comprises: a selection lever assembly pivotally mounted in said frame means for movement Between first and second positions to cooperate with said first and third actuating shaft means; spring means to resiliently urge said assembly to said second position and actuator means to move said assembly to said first position; said assembly having abutment means thereon to cooperate with said first and third actuating means to permit the rotation to said second position of only said first and third actuating shafts of said first aligning means when said assembly is in said first position and to permit the rotation to said second positions of only said first and third actuating shafts of said second aligning means when said assembly is in said second position.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 91 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further including a chute guide means and means for pivotally mounting said chute guide means for movement between first and second positions relative to said chute means; said actuating means including lever means to move said chute guide means to said second position where it facilitates guiding a document into said chute means; said chute guide means being moved to said second position everytime the aligner bars of either the first or the second aligning means are moved into said blocking position.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 264 words

A document aligning apparatus for aligning a document relative to a platen of an office machine having a frame means and a chute means mounted therein, comprising: a plurality of aligner bar means spaced along said platen; first actuating shaft means for moving said aligner bar means between a blocking position in said chute means and a non-blocking position out of said chute means in response to a control means; each said aligner bar means having an aligner bar pivotally mounted thereon against which an edge of a document may be positioned when said aligner bar means are in said blocking position; said aligner bar being resiliently biased to a skewed position relative to a printing line on said platen; and switch means associated with each said aligner bar; each said aligner bar, when moved to a position substantially parallel to said printing line by said edge of the document being inserted in the chute means, being effective to close said associated switch means; second actuating shaft means which are energized upon the closing of at least two of said switch means for pushing said aligner bars and said document a short distance in a direction out of said chute means to an aligned position whereby said edge is accurately aligned parallel to said printing line; and compression roll means for gripping said document when in said aligned position; said first actuating shaft means in response to said control means being effective to move said aligner bar means to said non-blocking position to enable said document to be indexed by said compression roll means.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 264 words

A document aligning apparatus for aligning a document relative to a platen of an office machine having a frame means and a chute means mounted therein, comprising: a plurality of aligner bar means spaced along said platen; first actuating shaft means for moving said aligner bar means between a blocking position in said chute means and a non-blocking position out of said chute means in response to a control means; each said aligner bar means having an aligner bar pivotally mounted thereon against which an edge of a document may be positioned when said aligner bar means are in said blocking position; said aligner bar being resiliently biased to a skewed position relative to a printing line on said platen; and switch means associated with each said aligner bar; each said aligner bar, when moved to a position substantially parallel to said printing line by said edge of the document being inserted in the chute means, being effective to close said associated switch means; second actuating shaft means which are energized upon the closing of at least two of said switch means for pushing said aligner bars and said document a short distance in a direction out of said chute means to an aligned position whereby said edge is accurately aligned parallel to said printing line; and compression roll means for gripping said document when in said aligned position; said first actuating shaft means in response to said control means being effective to move said aligner bar means to said non-blocking position to enable said document to be indexed by said compression roll means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 54 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a stop bar positioned parallel to said printing line to provide a stop for said aligner bars when said aligner bars are moved said short distance out of said chute means to thereby accurately align said aligner bars parallel to said printing line.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 103 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 10 further including a stationary rod and in which each said aligner bar means further comprises: a pushing lever having one of said aligner bars and associated switch means mounted on one end thereof; said pushing lever having an elongated slot therein located between the ends of the pushing lever with said stationary rod passing therethrough to pivotally mount said pushing lever thereon; and spring means to resiliently pivot said pushing lever so as to move the associated aligner bar into said blocking position and to urge said aligner bar to move said short distance.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 151 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 11 in which each said pushing lever has a short rod mounted on an end thereof which is opposite to said one end having said switch meaNs thereon, and in which said first actuating shaft means comprises: a first actuating shaft pivotally mounted in said frame means for movement between first and second positions; and a plurality of first arms fixed to said first actuating shaft to rotate therewith, with one arm being provided for each said pushing lever to engage the associated short rod thereon to hold the pushing lever in said non-blocking position when said first actuating shaft is in said position, and to release said pushing lever when the first actuating shaft is moved to said second position to permit said associated spring means to pivot the pushing lever and thereby move the associated aligner bar into said blocking position.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 141 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 12 in which said second actuating shaft means comprises: a second actuating shaft pivotally mounted in said frame means for movement between first and second positions; and a plurality of second arms fixed to said second actuating shaft to rotate therewith, with one arm being provided for each said pushing lever to engage the associated short rod thereon to hold the pushing lever in a first position when said second actuating shaft is in said first position and to release said pushing lever when the second actuating shaft is moved to said second position to permit said associated spring means to move the associated aligner bar said short distance to a second position where the aligner bar abuts against said stop bar to thereby align a document pushed thereby with said printing line.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 193 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 13 in which said compression roll means comprises: an auxiliary feed roll mounted in parallel relationship with said platen; a plurality of bell crank levers pivotally mounted in said frame means and spaced along the length of said platen; each said crank lever having a compression roll on one end thereof and a rod on the remaining end thereof; and a spring means to urge the compression roll into engagement with said feed roll; a third actuating shaft pivotally mounted in said frame means for movement between first and second positions; and a plurality of third arms fixed to said third actuating shaft to rotate therewith, with one such arm being provided for each said crank lever to engage the associated rod thereon to hold the associated compression roll away from said feed roll when said third actuating shaft is in said first position and to permit the associated spring means to pivot said crank lever when said third actuating shaft is moved to said second position to thereby move the associated compression roll into engagement with said feed roll to grip a document therebetween.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 63 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 14 further comprising: first cam and lever means for moving said first actuating shaft between said first and second positions; second cam and lever means for moving said second actuating shaft between said first and second positions; and third cam and lever means for moving said third actuating shaft between said first and second positions.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 83 words

The document aligning apparatus as claimed in claim 15 further including a chute guide means and means for pivotally mounting said chute guide means for movement between first and second positions relative to said chute means; link means interconnecting said chute guide means with said first cam and lever means to move said chute guide means to said second position where said chute guide means facilitates guiding a document into said chute means whenever said aligner bars are moved into said blocking position.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-07-14	1979-01-13	1979-07-15	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-07-14	1983-01-13	1983-07-15	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-07-14	1987-01-13	1987-07-15	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Left and right document aligning apparatus for office machines having split platens

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