Hopper mechanism

Claim 2

Hopper mechanism for document cards including means forming a hopper for a deck of the document cards having a slot in one of its surfaces through which a card may be fed from a card deck in the hopper, a card engaging driven member engageable with an end card of the deck of cards in said hopper for moving the card out of the hopper through said slot, a pair of moveable means forming a nip into which and through which a card from said hopper enters and passes, a swinging registration arm positioned adjacent the end of said nip from which a card passing through the nip passes and positioned so that the card passing through the nip actuates said arm, a roll positioned adjacent said end of said nip from which a card passes, and means driving said roll so that it has a peripheral surface in contact with a card as it moves out of said nip that moves reversely with respect to the direction of movement of the card out of said nip for driving said card backwardly after said card passes through said nip, said registration arm having a registration edge in the path of movement of said card being driven backwardly by said roll so as to register said card at a particular place after passing through said nip.

Claim 3

Hopper mechanism as set forth in claim 1, said registration arm having a roller rotatably mounted thereon adapted to have a nip with said roll for helping to drive said card backwardly into contact with said registration edge.

Claim 4

Hopper mechanism for document cards comprising: means forming a hopper for vertically disposed document cards in the form of a horizontal deck including a horizontal hopper base, means for bracing a front card of the deck, and a back shoe effective on the back card of the deck and moveable towards said bracing means; said hopper base being provided with a throat gap through it adjacent the front card of the deck through which the front card may pass; a pick roll positioned to move into contact with the front card of the deck as braced by said bracing means to move the card through said throat gap; a second roll located below said hopper base; and means forming a nip with said second roll so that a card driven through said throat gap by said pick roll may move into said nip to be transported around said second roll for changing the direction of movement of said card; said means forming a nip with said second roll including a belt extending around both of said rolls, and means for driving said belt and for thereby driving said two rolls; the hopper mechanism including a thin flexible ribbon extending across the upper surface of said hopper base for holding the bottom edges of said document cards spaced with respect to the upper surface of said hopper base, one end of said ribbon being attached to said back shoe, and spring means attached to the other end of said ribbon for thereby causing said ribbon to move across said hopper base along with movement of said back shoe toward said card bracing means as the cards are fed through said throat gap out of said hopper.

Claim 5

Hopper mechanism for document cards comprising: means forming a hopper for vertically disposed document cards in the form of a horizontal deck including a horizontal hopper base, means for bracing a front card of the deck, and a back shoe effective on the back card of the deck and moveable towards said bracing means; said hopper base being provided with a throat gap through it adjacent the front card of the deck through which the front card may pass; a pick roll positioned to move into contact with the front card of the deck as braced by said bracing means to move the card through said throat gap; a second roll located below said hopper base; and means forming a nip with said second roll so that a card driven through said throat gap by said pick roll may move into said nip to be transported around said second roll for changing the direction of movement of said card; said means forming a nip with said second roll including a belt extending around both of said rolls, and means for driving said belt and for thereby driving said two rolls; the hopper mechanism including a thin flexible ribbon extending across the upper surface of said hopper base for holding the bottom edges of said document cards spaced with respect to the upper surface of said hopper base, one end of said ribbon being attached to said back shoe, and spring means attached to the other end of said ribbon for thereby causing said ribbon to move across said hopper base along with movement of said back shoe toward said card bracing means as the cards are fed through said throat gap out of said hopper.

Claim 6

Hopper mechanism for document cards comprising:

Claim 7

Hopper mechanism for document cards comprising:

Claim 8

means forming a hopper for vertically disposed document cards in the form of a horizontal deck including a horizontal hopper base, means for bracing a front card of the deck, and a back shoe effective on the back card of the deck and moveable toward said bracing means; said hopper base being provided with a throat gap through it adjacent the front card of the deck through which the front card may pass; a pick roll positioned to move into contact with the front card of the deck as braced by said bracing means to move the card through said throat gap; a second roll located below said hopper base; and means forming a nip with said second roll so that a card driven through said throat gap by said pick roll may move into said nip to be transported around said second roll for changing the direction of movement of said card; said means forming a nip with said second roll including a belt extending around both of said rolls, and means for driving said belt and for thereby driving said two rolls; the hopper mechanism including a third roll located adjacent said second roll at a place where the belt and a card in said nip leave the second roll and being driven in such manner by said belt to have a peripheral surface moving reversely to the direction of movement of the card as it leaves said nip; a registration arm positioned to be contacted by a document card moving through said nip and adapted to drop toward said third roll when said card passes out of said nip towards said registration arm in its continued movement; and a rotatable roller carried by said registration arm adapted to have a nip with said third roll when said arm has dropped for thereby driving the card reversely after it passes beyond the nip of said second roll and belt, said registration arm having a registration edge which is in the path of said card in its reverse movement under the action of said third roll for thereby accurately locating said card in a registered position.

Claim 9

means forming a hopper for vertically disposed document cards in the form of a horizontal deck including a horizontal hopper base, means for bracing a front card of the deck, and a back shoe effective on the back card of the deck and moveable toward said bracing means; said hopper base being provided with a throat gap through it adjacent the front card of the deck through which the front card may pass; a pick roll positioned to move into contact with the front card of the deck as braced by said bracing means to move the card through said throat gap; a second roll located below said hopper base; and means forming a nip with said second roll so that a card driven through said throat gap by said pick roll may move into said nip to be transported around said second roll for changing the direction of movement of said card; said means forming a nip with said second roll including a belt extending around both of said rolls, and means for driving said belt and for thereby driving said two rolls; the hopper mechanism including a third roll located adjacent said second roll at a place where the belt and a card in said nip leave the second roll and being driven in such manner by said belt to have a peripheral surface moving reversely to the direction of movement of the card as it leaves said nip; a registration arm positioned to be contacted by a document card moving through said nip and adapted to drop toward said third roll when said card passes out of said nip towards said registration arm in its continued movement; and a rotatable roller carried by said registration arm adapted to have a nip with said third roll when said arm has dropped for thereby driving the card reversely after it passes beyond the nip of said second roll and belt, said registration arm having a registration edge which is in the path of said card in its reverse movement under the action of said third roll for thereby accurately locating said card in a registered position.

Claim 10

Hopper mechanism for document cards comprising: means forming a hopper for vertically disposed document cards in the form of a stack including a hopper base extending transversely of said document cards and supporting the document cards, means for bracing a front card of the stack, and a back shoe effective on the back card of the stack and moveable toward said bracing means, said hopper base being provided with a throat gap through it adjacent the front card of the stack through which the front card may pass, a pick roll positioned to move into contact with the front card of the stack as braced by said bracing means to move the card through said throat gap, a thin flexible material strip extending across the upper surface of said hopper base for holding the bottom edges of said document cards spaced with respect to the upper surface of said hopper base, one end of said strip being attached to said back shoe, and means for exerting a pull on the other end of said strip for thereby causing said strip to move across said hopper base along with movement of said back shoe toward said card bracing means as the cards are fed through said throat gap out of said hopper.

Claim 11

Hopper mechanism for document cards comprising: means forming a hopper for vertically disposed document cards in the form of a stack including a hopper base extending transversely of said document cards and supporting the document cards, means for bracing a front card of the stack, and a back shoe effective on the back card of the stack and moveable toward said bracing means, said hopper base being provided with a throat gap through it adjacent the front card of the stack through which the front card may pass, a pick roll positioned to move into contact with the front card of the stack as braced by said bracing means to move the card through said throat gap, a thin flexible material strip extending across the upper surface of said hopper base for holding the bottom edges of said document cards spaced with respect to the upper surface of said hopper base, one end of said strip being attached to said back shoe, and means for exerting a pull on the other end of said strip for thereby causing said strip to move across said hopper base along with movement of said back shoe toward said card bracing means as the cards are fed through said throat gap out of said hopper.

Claim 12

A hopper mechanism as set forth in claim 5 and including a direction reversing roll across which said strip extends and positioned adjacent said throat gap and with its upper periphery substantially in line with the upper surface of said hopper base.

Claim 13

Document card transport mechanism including moveable means for engaging with a document card and propelling it forwardly in a certain path, a swinging registration arm positioned in said path and having a document card registration edge in said path and arranged so that a card passing forwardly in said path swings the registration arm to move the registration edge out of the path to allow the card to pass beyond said registration edge, a roll positioned to have a peripheral surface in said path beyond said registration edge, and means for driving said roll so that its said peripheral surface moves reversely with respect to the forward direction of movement of a document card so that the roll drives the document card backwardly after said card passes beyond said registration edge and drives the card into contact with said registration edge so as to register the card in a particular position in said path.

Claim 14

Document card transport mechanism including moveable means for engaging with a document card and propelling it forwardly in a certain path, a swinging registration arm positioned in said path and having a document card registration edge in said path and arranged so that a card passing forwardly in said path swings the registration arm to move the registration edge out of the path to allow the card to pass beyond said registration edge, a roll positioned to have a peripheral surface in said path beyond said registration edge, and means for driving said roll so that its said peripheral surface moves reversely with respect to the forward direction of movement of a document card so that the roll drives the document card backwardly after said card passes beyond said registration edge and drives the card into contact with said registration edge so as to register the card in a particular position in said path.

Claim 15

Document card transport mechanism as set forth in claim 7, said moveable means engaging with a document card including a rotatable roll for driving the document card forwardly along said path, said registration arm having a ramp portion extending obliquely with respect to said path of card movement so that when a card moves into contact with the ramp portion it swings said arm to move its said registration edge outwardly of said path of document card movement.

Claim 16

Document card transport mechanism as set forth in claim 8 and including a roller carried by said registration arm and adapted to have a nip with said reversely rotating roll when the registration arm is in its position in which said registration edge is in said card path for assuring that the reversely rotating roll moves a document card backwardly in said path and against said registration edge.

Claim 17

Document card transport mechanism including: moveable means for engaging with a document card and propelling it forwardly in a certain path, a document card registration member moveable into and out of said path, said registration member including means located at a lower end thereof for moving the registration member out of said path to allow the card moving in the forward direction in said path to pass beyond said registration member, and a contact post for activating a switching means located adjacent said registration member which detects the position of a document card when said registration member is moved upwardly by a document card moving in the forward direction, means coordinated with the movement of the card beyond said registration member when moving in the forward direction in said path for moving said registration member back into said path, moveable means for engaging with the document card and driving it in the reverse direction in said path when the card is positioned in said path forwardly of said registration member, and means for rendering said moveable means for driving the card reversely effected coordinately with the movement of said registration member back into said path so that this moveable means drives the card reversely after the card passes beyond said registration member and drives the card into contact with the registration member so as to register the card in a particular position in said path.

Claim 18

Document card transport mechanism including: moveable means for engaging with a document card and propelling it forwardly in a certain path, a document card registration member moveable into and out of said path, said registration member including means located at a lower end thereof for moving the registration member out of said path to allow the card moving in the forward direction in said path to pass beyond said registration member, and a contact post for activating a switching means located adjacent said registration member which detects the position of a document card when said registration member is moved upwardly by a document card moving in the forward direction, means coordinated with the movement of the card beyond said registration member when moving in the forward direction in said path for moving said registration member back into said path, moveable means for engaging with the document card and driving it in the reverse direction in said path when the card is positioned in said path forwardly of said registration member, and means for rendering said moveable means for driving the card reversely effected coordinately with the movement of said registration member back into said path so that this moveable means drives the card reversely after the card passes beyond said registration member and drives the card into contact with the registration member so as to register the card in a particular position in said path.

Claim 19

Document card transport mechanism including: moveable means for engaging with a document card and propelling it forwardly in a certain path, a document card registration member moveable into and out of said path, said registration member including means located at a lower end thereof for moving the registration member out of said path to allow the card moving in the forward direction in said path to pass beyond said registration member, means coordinated with the movement of the card beyond said registration member when moving in the forward direction in said path for moving said registration member back into said path, moveable means for engaging with the document card and driving it in the reverse direction in said path when the card is positioned in said path forwardly of said registration member, and a roller rotatably disposed on said registration member for rendering said moveable means for driving the card reversely effective coordinately with the movement of said registration member back into said path, said roller forming a binding action with said moveable means for driving the card in a reverse direction into contact with the registration member so as to register the card in a particular position in said path.

Claim 20

Document card transport mechanism including: moveable means for engaging with a document card and propelling it forwardly in a certain path, a document card registration member moveable into and out of said path, said registration member including means located at a lower end thereof for moving the registration member out of said path to allow the card moving in the forward direction in said path to pass beyond said registration member, means coordinated with the movement of the card beyond said registration member when moving in the forward direction in said path for moving said registration member back into said path, moveable means for engaging with the document card and driving it in the reverse direction in said path when the card is positioned in said path forwardly of said registration member, and a roller rotatably disposed on said registration member for rendering said moveable means for driving the card reversely effective coordinately with the movement of said registration member back into said path, said roller forming a binding action with said moveable means for driving the card in a reverse direction into contact with the registration member so as to register the card in a particular position in said path.