Patent US2910213A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US4009877A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US4009877A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Document transport device

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1975-11-03
•
Granted: 1977-03-01
•
Expires: 1995-11-03
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract Disclosed is document transport apparatus for advancing documents between two locations, for example between the printing and output stations of copying equipment, the transport apparatus including a high friction continuously driven belt cooperating with a stationary strip of low friction material to define a transport guideway path for the documents with document pinch points being defined along spaced locations of the guideway path. The continuous belt is preferably of a cross-sectional size and configuration to transportably engage the documents along a line contact at, or immediately adjacent, the edge thereof.

Inventors

  • 👤 John Wesley Ward, Jr.

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 13:07
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/65; B; B65; B65H; B65H29/00; B65H29/16; G03G15/6529; B65H2301/00; B65H2301/30; B65H2301/34; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/00362; G03G2215/00367; G03G2215/00371; G03G2215/00535; G03G2215/00679

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 153 words
Document transport apparatus, comprising: a. a drive train assembly comprising a plurality of idle pulleys, a belt of relatively high coefficient of friction material disposed around said pulleys, and means for continuously advancing said belt along a transport path from a single document entry location to a document exit location defined by said pulleys, and b. a rigidly mounted strip of material having a low coefficient of friction, said strip having a principal surface following the contour of, and cooperating with, said belt to define a guideway for documents advanced along said transport path, said principal surface having first surface portions recessed from said pulleys and said second surface portions intermediate said pulleys immediately adjacent said belt defining document pinch points, whereby documents aligned within said guideway are transportably engaged by said belt at said pinch points and are substantially released from said engagement at the location of said first recessed surface portions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 153 words
Document transport apparatus, comprising: a. a drive train assembly comprising a plurality of idle pulleys, a belt of relatively high coefficient of friction material disposed around said pulleys, and means for continuously advancing said belt along a transport path from a single document entry location to a document exit location defined by said pulleys, and b. a rigidly mounted strip of material having a low coefficient of friction, said strip having a principal surface following the contour of, and cooperating with, said belt to define a guideway for documents advanced along said transport path, said principal surface having first surface portions recessed from said pulleys and said second surface portions intermediate said pulleys immediately adjacent said belt defining document pinch points, whereby documents aligned within said guideway are transportably engaged by said belt at said pinch points and are substantially released from said engagement at the location of said first recessed surface portions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 35 words
The document transport apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said belt is of a circular cross-section of sufficiently small diameter to engage said documents at an essentially line contact therewith at said pinch points.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 18 words
The apparatus as defined by claim 2 wherein said belt engages said documents solely at an edge thereof.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2899201A Cited
US1786343A Cited
US2069716A Cited
US1962713A Cited
US3287013A Cited
US3804401A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1980-02-29 1980-08-30 1981-03-01 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1984-02-29 1984-08-30 1985-03-01 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1988-02-29 1988-08-30 1989-03-01 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag