Paper conveyor and guidance system

Claim 2

A paper conveyor and guidance system comprising: a conveyor for conveying sheets of paper in a flat, upwardly facing status; an elongated, slotted rack assembly positioned over the conveyor and extending substantially parallel thereto, said rack assembly comprising: at least one elongated rack having a longitudinally extending slot formed therethrough, and further having at least one generally cylindrical aperture extending through the rack at the locus of the longitudinally extending slot and intersected thereby; balls positioned in one or more of the generally cylindrical apertures and positioned for rolling contact with paper passed between said conveyor and rack; and a disc subassembly adjustably mounted on said elongated rack for selective positioning along the length thereof, said disc subassembly including: a pressure disc mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and having a peripheral portion projecting below said rack toward said conveyor; and means mounting said pressure disc on said rack for selectively adjusting the extent to which said peripheral portion projects below said rack.

Claim 3

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 1 and further characterized as including spring means resiliently connecting said disc to said mounting means and resiliently resisting upward movement of said disc.

Claim 4

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 2 wherein said spring means is a bifurcated spring metal arm having said pressure disc mounted therein.

Claim 5

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein said conveyor comprises; a pair of spaced, endless belts extending substantially parallel to each other; and wherein said rack assembly comprises a pair of elongated racks, each positioned over, and extending substantially parallel to, one of said belts.

Claim 6

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 4 and further characterized as including straps mounted directly under the upper run of said belts and supporting the belts against downward pressure exerted thereon.

Claim 7

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein said conveyor and rack assembly are inclined to the horizontal, and said rack has a beveled surface at one end thereof for guiding paper sheets between the rack and said conveyor.

Claim 8

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein said disc subassembly is further characterized as including: a bifurcated, spring metal disc supporting arm receiving and journaling said pressure disc in the bifurcation thereof, and having an end portion spaced from said disc; and a bolt projecting through, and axially slidable in, said slot, and having the end portion of said arm connected thereto.

Claim 9

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein said conveyor and guidance system includes a plurality of said racks, and each of said racks has a plurality of said generally cylindrical apertures formed therethrough, and at least one of these cylindrical apertures in each rack has chamfered surfaces at the lower end thereof; and wherein one of said balls is positioned in at least one of said apertures having said chamfered surfaces.

Claim 10

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 1 and further characterized as including spring clips detachably engaged with said rack at a location over at least one of the ball-containing apertures.

Claim 11

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein said means mounting said pressure disc on said rack comprises: a bolt projecting through said longitudinally extending slot and having a threaded upper end spaced above said rack; an arm rotatably supporting said disc and having one end movably connected to said bolt for axial movement along the shank of said bolt above said rack; a spring positioned around said bolt between said arm and said rack; and an adjusting cap threaded on the upper end of said arm and selectively positionable thereon to force said arm toward said rack against the bias of said spring.

Claim 12

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 10 wherein said bolt has flat sides formed thereon, and the end of said arm connected to said bolt is slotted, with the slot therein registering with the flat sides of said bolt to prevent rotation of the arm on the bolt and maintain the pressure disc carried by the arm centered in the longitudinally extending slot in the rack.

Claim 13

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 10 wherein said paper and guidance system includes a plurality of said racks, and each of said racks is further characterized in having a second longitudinally extending slot therein on the opposite side of said rack from said first mentioned slot, and wherein said bolt has a head positioned in said second slot and preventing narrowing of said slots upon application of compressive forces to opposite sides of said rack.

Claim 14

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 12 and further characterized in having a saddle bridging said first mentioned slot and engaging the opposite sides of said rack to prevent spreading of said rack to enlarge said first mentioned slot, said saddle having said bolt projecting through the center thereof.

Claim 15

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 3 wherein said arm is bifurcated and is of spring metal construction and has said pressure disc mounted in the bifurcation thereof.

Claim 16

A paper conveyor and guidance system as defined in claim 14 wherein said conveyor and guidance system includes a plurality of said racks, and wherein each of said racks has a plurality of said generally cylindrical apertures formed therethrough, and at least one of these cylindrical apertures in each rack has chamfered surfaces at the lower end thereof; and wherein one of said balls is positioned in at least one of said apertures having said chamfered surfaces.

Claim 17

A paper conveyor and guidance system comprising: a conveyor for conveying sheets of paper in a flat, upwardly facing status; an elongated, rack assembly positioned over the conveyor and extending substantially parallel thereto, said rack assembly comprising: at least one elongated rack having at least one generally cylindrical aperture extending through the rack above the conveyor and in a direction substantially normal to the conveyor surface and to sheets of paper conveyed thereon; balls positioned in one or more of the generally cylindrical apertures and positioned for rolling contact with paper passed between said conveyor and rack; and a disc subassembly adjustably mounted on said elongated rack for selective positioning along the length thereof, said disc subassembly including: a pressure disc mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and having a peripheral portion projecting below said rack toward said conveyor; and means mounting said pressure disc on said rack for selectively adjusting the extent to which said peripheral portion projects below said rack.

Claim 18

A paper conveyor and guidance system comprising: a conveyor for conveying sheets of paper in a flat, upwardly facing status; an elongated, rack assembly positioned over the conveyor and extending substantially parallel thereto, said rack assembly comprising: at least one elongated rack having at least one generally cylindrical aperture extending through the rack above the conveyor and in a direction substantially normal to the conveyor surface and to sheets of paper conveyed thereon; balls positioned in one or more of the generally cylindrical apertures and positioned for rolling contact with paper passed between said conveyor and rack; and a disc subassembly adjustably mounted on said elongated rack for selective positioning along the length thereof, said disc subassembly including: a pressure disc mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and having a peripheral portion projecting below said rack toward said conveyor; and means mounting said pressure disc on said rack for selectively adjusting the extent to which said peripheral portion projects below said rack.

Claim 19

A paper conveyor and guidance system comprising: a conveyor including at least two endless belts having substantially coplanar upper runs for supporting upwardly facing sheets of paper in a flat, upwardly facing status; an elongated rack assembly positioned over said conveyor and extending substantially parallel thereto, said rack assembly comprising: at least one elongated rack having at least one generally cylindrical aperture extending through the rack and projecting substantially normal to the plane of the upper surface of said endless belts, and to a sheet of paper conveyed on said belts in a flat, upwardly facing status, one of said generally cylindrical apertures terminating at its lower end in a chamfered surface inclined with respect to the axis of said generally cylindrical aperture and inclined at an angle to the plane of the upper surface of said two endless belts and the surface of a sheet of paper conveyed on said belts in a flat, upwardly facing status, said chamfered surface sloping downwardly and outwardly away from said one cylidrical aperture; a ball positioned in said generally cylindrical aperture terminating in said chamfered surface and supported in said aperture for free rolling contact with the upper surface of the flat, smooth sheets of paper conveyed on the upper run of said belts, said ball being smaller in diameter than the diameter of the cylindrical aperture at any location in the aperture; and a pressure disc adjustably mounted on said rack over said conveyor at a predetermined location therealong to contact the rear edge of a sheet of paper supported by, and conveyed on, said belts when said sheet reaches a predetermined position on said belts while said sheet is under, and contacted by, said ball, said pressure disc being manually adjustable along the length of said elongated rack to selectively change the spacing between said pressure disc and said ball, and said pressure disc being manually adjustable in a direction extending normal to the longitudinal axis of said elongated rack to permit the peripheral portion of said pressure disc to be moved closer to, or farther from, a sheet of paper conveyed on said belt.

Claim 20

A paper conveyor and guidance system comprising: a conveyor including at least two endless belts having substantially coplanar upper runs for supporting upwardly facing sheets of paper in a flat, upwardly facing status; an elongated rack assembly positioned over said conveyor and extending substantially parallel thereto, said rack assembly comprising: at least one elongated rack having at least one generally cylindrical aperture extending through the rack and projecting substantially normal to the plane of the upper surface of said endless belts, and to a sheet of paper conveyed on said belts in a flat, upwardly facing status, one of said generally cylindrical apertures terminating at its lower end in a chamfered surface inclined with respect to the axis of said generally cylindrical aperture and inclined at an angle to the plane of the upper surface of said two endless belts and the surface of a sheet of paper conveyed on said belts in a flat, upwardly facing status, said chamfered surface sloping downwardly and outwardly away from said one cylidrical aperture; a ball positioned in said generally cylindrical aperture terminating in said chamfered surface and supported in said aperture for free rolling contact with the upper surface of the flat, smooth sheets of paper conveyed on the upper run of said belts, said ball being smaller in diameter than the diameter of the cylindrical aperture at any location in the aperture; and a pressure disc adjustably mounted on said rack over said conveyor at a predetermined location therealong to contact the rear edge of a sheet of paper supported by, and conveyed on, said belts when said sheet reaches a predetermined position on said belts while said sheet is under, and contacted by, said ball, said pressure disc being manually adjustable along the length of said elongated rack to selectively change the spacing between said pressure disc and said ball, and said pressure disc being manually adjustable in a direction extending normal to the longitudinal axis of said elongated rack to permit the peripheral portion of said pressure disc to be moved closer to, or farther from, a sheet of paper conveyed on said belt.