US3904192A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for manipulating sheets in copying machines
Assignee: Agfa Gevaert AG
•
Filing: 1974-02-21
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Granted: 1975-09-09
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Expires: 1994-02-21
Abstract
Abstract Sheets which issue from the discharge slot of a copying machine with their imprinted sides facing upwardly are inverted prior to descending into a tray. The inverting mechanism employs a wheel having rearwardly inclined blades extending into the path of movement of leaders of successive sheets whereby the leaders rotate the wheel while the trailing ends of the sheets are being advanced by rolls in the housing of the copying machine. This causes a looping of sheets and an automatic inversion as soon as the trailing ends leave the discharge slot. The wheel is braked so that it rotates only while a blade engages with the leader of a sheet. A stop at the lowermost point of the wheel intercepts the leader so that the looping of the sheet becomes more pronounced as the trailing end continues to issue from the slot while the leader bears against the stop.
Inventors
- 👤 Josef Pfeifer
- 👤 Gunter Abbe
- 👤 Rudolf Eppe
- 👤 Rudiger Ettelbruck
- 👤 Gunther Schnall
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 06:10
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/65; G03G15/6529; B; B65; B65H; B65H29/00; B65H29/38; B65H29/40; G03G15/6552; B65H2301/00; B65H2301/40; B65H2301/42; B65H2301/421; B65H2301/4212
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
In a copying machine, a combination comprising means for discharging information-bearing sheets of transfer material, including means for advancing successive sheets in a predetermined direction and along a predetermined path; means for collecting the thus discharged sheets; means for inverting the sheets between said discharging means and said collecting means, including at least one rotary inverting member turnable about an axis which is substantially parallel to said path and substantially normal to said direction, said rotary member being turnable by the leaders of successive sheets which are being advanced along said path; and means for braking said rotary member, including at least one braking member in frictional engagement with a portion of said rotary member and means for adjusting the friction between said braking member and said portion of said rotary member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
132 words
In a copying machine, a combination comprising means for discharging information-bearing sheets of transfer material, including means for advancing successive sheets in a predetermined direction and along a predetermined path; means for collecting the thus discharged sheets; means for inverting the sheets between said discharging means and said collecting means, including at least one rotary inverting member turnable about an axis which is substantially parallel to said path and substantially normal to said direction, said rotary member being turnable by the leaders of successive sheets which are being advanced along said path; and means for braking said rotary member, including at least one braking member in frictional engagement with a portion of said rotary member and means for adjusting the friction between said braking member and said portion of said rotary member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotary member is turnable in said direction and said inverting means further comprises a plurality of projections extending outwardly from said rotary member and substantially counter to said direction, at least one of said projections extending into said path to be engaged by the leader of an oncoming sheet.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said path is substantially tangential to said rotary member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
A combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said inverting means further comprises guide means having a first portion adjacent to said path between said discharging means and said rotary member and an arcuate second portion having a convex outer side and adjacent to at least one axial end of said rotary member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
A combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said rotary member has a substantially cylindrical peripheral surface from which said projections extend and said second portion of said guide means has a convex outer surface in at least substantial register with said peripheral surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A combination as defined in claim 5, wherein said second portion of said guide means extend along an arc of approximately 180*.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
91 words
A combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said inverting means further comprises guide means having a portion adjacent to said path between said discharging means and said rotary member, and stop means located substantially diametrically opposite said portion of said guide means with respect to the axis of said rotary member, said stop means being positioned to intercept the leader of a sheet which engages one of said projections so that the thus intercepted sheet is automatically inverted in response to further movement of its trailing portion along said path.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
A combination as defined in claim 7, wherein said stop means forms part of said guide means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
A combination as defined in claim 7, wherein said portion of said guide means and said stop means are respectively located above and below the axis of said rotary member and said collecting means is adjacent to said stop means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
89 words
A combination as defined in claim 1 for discharging, collecting and inverting sheets having a predetermined width, as considered transversely of said path, wherein said inverting means further comprises a plurality of projections extending outwardly from said rotary member and at least sligthly counter to said direction, the width of said projections, as considered in the axial direction of said rotary member, being a fraction of said predetermined width and at least one said projections extending into said path to be engaged by the leader of an oncoming sheet.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
A combination as defined in claim 10, wherein the width of said projections is about 10 percent of said predetermined width.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
91 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said inverting means further comprises a plurality of projections extending outwardly from said rotary member and counter to said direction, at least one of said projections extending into said path to be engaged by the leader of an oncoming sheet whereby the rotary member is rotated in said direction by the thus engaged projection while the trailing portion of the respective sheet continues to advance along said path, each of said projections having a relatively sharp edge portion remote from said rotary member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
82 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said inverting means further comprises a plurality of substantially blade-like projections extending from the periphery of said rotary member and counter to said direction, each of said projections defining with the periphery of said rotary member a recess for the entry of the leader of an oncoming sheet whereby such leader rotates said rotary member and is thereby looped to become inverted in response to movement of its trailing portion beyond said discharging means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
A combination as defined in claim 13, wherein the maximum width of each of said recesses is between two and five times the thickness of a sheet.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotary member consists of a single piece of synthetic plastic material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, further comprising a housing for at least a portion of said discharging means and means for separably coupling said inverting means to said housing.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
A combination as defined in claim 16, wherein said inverting means further comprises a casing for said rotary member and said coupling means is arranged to separably secure said casing to said housing.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
A combination as defined in claim 17, wherein said inverting means further comprises bearing means provided in said casing for said rotary member.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
59 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said discharging means comprises a wall having an opening for the passage of successive sheets, at least the major part of said inverting means being located at a level below said opening and at least the major part of said collecting means being located at a level below said inverting means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
71 words
A combination as defined in claim 19, wherein said collecting means comprises a tray on said wall and said inverting means further comprises means for engaging the leaders of successive sheets issuing from said opening and for looping the thus engaged sheets while said discharging means continues to advance the sheets through said opening whereby the sheets are inverted in automatic response to movement of their trailing portions beyond said opening.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
114 words
In a copying machine, a combination comprising means for discharging information-bearing sheets of transfer material, including means for advancing successive sheets in a predetermined direction and along a predetermined path; means for collecting the thus discharged sheets; means for inverting the sheets between said dischargiNg means and said collecting means, including at least one rotary inverting member having a substantially cylindrical surface and being turnable about an axis which is substantially parallel to said path and substantially normal to said direction, said rotary member being turnable by the leaders of successive sheets which are being advanced along said path; and means for braking said rotary member, including resilient means bearing against said cylindrical surface.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
114 words
In a copying machine, a combination comprising means for discharging information-bearing sheets of transfer material, including means for advancing successive sheets in a predetermined direction and along a predetermined path; means for collecting the thus discharged sheets; means for inverting the sheets between said dischargiNg means and said collecting means, including at least one rotary inverting member having a substantially cylindrical surface and being turnable about an axis which is substantially parallel to said path and substantially normal to said direction, said rotary member being turnable by the leaders of successive sheets which are being advanced along said path; and means for braking said rotary member, including resilient means bearing against said cylindrical surface.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
A combination as defined in claim 21, further comprising means for changing the bias of said resilient means upon said surface.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
135 words
In a copying machine, a combination comprising means for discharging information-bearing sheets of transfer material, including means for advancing successive sheets in a predetermined direction and along a predetermined path; means for collecting the thus discharged sheets; means for inverting the sheets between said discharging means and said collecting means, including at least one rotary inverting member turnable about an axis which is substantially parallel to said path and substantially normal to said direction, said rotary member being turnable by the leaders of successive sheets which are being advanced along said path and comprising a plurality of coaxial ringshaped portions having different outer diameters; and means for braking said rotary member, including a plurality of brake shoes, one for each of said ring-shaped portions, and means for urging selected shoes against the respective ring-shaped portions.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
135 words
In a copying machine, a combination comprising means for discharging information-bearing sheets of transfer material, including means for advancing successive sheets in a predetermined direction and along a predetermined path; means for collecting the thus discharged sheets; means for inverting the sheets between said discharging means and said collecting means, including at least one rotary inverting member turnable about an axis which is substantially parallel to said path and substantially normal to said direction, said rotary member being turnable by the leaders of successive sheets which are being advanced along said path and comprising a plurality of coaxial ringshaped portions having different outer diameters; and means for braking said rotary member, including a plurality of brake shoes, one for each of said ring-shaped portions, and means for urging selected shoes against the respective ring-shaped portions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2904334A
Cited
US3075760A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-08 | 1979-03-10 | 1979-09-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-08 | 1983-03-10 | 1983-09-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-08 | 1987-03-10 | 1987-09-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |