US4113245A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Combing wheel feed nip with second sheet restraint
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1977-04-18
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Granted: 1978-09-12
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Expires: 1997-04-18
Abstract
Abstract A multibin, cut-sheet xerographic copier capable of operating in a simplex or a duplex copy mode, wherein sheets are fed from a selected sheet stack, one at a time, to the copier's transfer station, by a sheet feeding means which includes a combing wheel. The combing wheel shingles the top few sheets, and particularly the single top sheet's leading edge, to a normally open feed nip. This nip is closed by copier logic to feed the top sheet to the transfer station. The feed nip comprises a fixed position, continuously rotating feed roller adapted to cooperate with the top surface of the top sheet. A solenoid controlled, nip-closing, composite pad is pivotable upward to press the top sheet against the feed roller. This composite pad includes a first low friction, nonresilient pressure pad cooperating with the feed roller, and a second, reduced thickness, resilient pad cooperating with the leading edge of the shingled sheets under the top sheet. A spring biases all shingled sheets away from the feed roller and toward the solenoid controlled composite pad.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald Francis Colglazier
- 👤 John Leslie Fallon
- 👤 Ernest Paul Kollar
- 👤 Fred Ralph Mares
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 14:00
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H3/00; B65H3/46; B65H3/52; B65H3/5207; B65H3/5215; B65H3/5223
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
Sheet restraint means for use with a closable drive nip adapted to receive the leading edge of sheets which are shingled thereto by operation of a combing wheel, comprising: a drive roller operable to feed the foremost shingled sheet in a given direction downstream of said roller; a nip closing member spaced from said drive roller to define a drive nip; means operable to produce relative movement between said drive roller and said nip closing member to effect closing of said drive nip; a low friction, drive-roller-engaging member mounted on said nip closing member and cooperating with said drive roller to physically push the leading edge of the foremost shingled sheet against said drive roller; and a soft pad mounted on said nip closing member upstream of said drive roller and operable when said drive nip is closed to capture the leading edge portions of the shingled sheets underlying the one which is being fed by said drive roller; wherein said drive-roller-engaging member is nonresilient, and is thicker than said soft pad so as to define a step operable to positively stop intersheet-friction-feeding of the sheet immediately adjacent the one fed sheet.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
Sheet restraint means for use with a closable drive nip adapted to receive the leading edge of sheets which are shingled thereto by operation of a combing wheel, comprising: a drive roller operable to feed the foremost shingled sheet in a given direction downstream of said roller; a nip closing member spaced from said drive roller to define a drive nip; means operable to produce relative movement between said drive roller and said nip closing member to effect closing of said drive nip; a low friction, drive-roller-engaging member mounted on said nip closing member and cooperating with said drive roller to physically push the leading edge of the foremost shingled sheet against said drive roller; and a soft pad mounted on said nip closing member upstream of said drive roller and operable when said drive nip is closed to capture the leading edge portions of the shingled sheets underlying the one which is being fed by said drive roller; wherein said drive-roller-engaging member is nonresilient, and is thicker than said soft pad so as to define a step operable to positively stop intersheet-friction-feeding of the sheet immediately adjacent the one fed sheet.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The sheet restraint means defined by claim 1 including spring means operable to force bias shingled sheets away from said drive roller and toward said nip closing member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
67 words
The sheet restraint means defined by claim 1 wherein said drive roller is mounted for rotation on a fixed position axis, said nip closing member comprises an inclined pivoted plate whose effective pivot point is upstream of said drive roller, said soft pad when in said nip closing position defining a ramp inclined upward toward the nip formed by said low friction member and said drive roller.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
The sheet restraint means defined by claim 3 including a fixed position sheet guide having an opening through which said pivoted plate extends when in the nip closing position, and under which said pivoted plate resides when in the nip open position so as to allow unobstructed shingling of sheets while their leading edges are guided by said sheet guide.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The sheet restraint means defined by claim 4 including a U-shaped spring straddling said drive roller and operable to physically push the leading edge of shingled sheets toward said pivoted plate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
177 words
A closable drive nip adapted to receive the leading edge of the foremost one of a group of sheets which are shingled thereto by operation of a combing wheel, comprising: a drive roller operable to feed the foremost shingled sheet in a given direction downstream of said roller; a nip closing member spaced from said drive roller to define a drive nip; means operable to produce relative movement between said drive roller and said nip closing member to effect closing of said drive nip; a low friction, drive-roller-engaging member mounted on said nip closing member and cooperating with said drive roller to physically push the leading edge of the foremost shingled sheet against said drive roller; and a recessed surface on said nip closing member upstream of said drive roller defining a step operable when said drive nip is closed to positively stop and capture the leading edge portions of the shingled sheets underlying the one which is being fed by said drive roller, to thereby inhibit feeding of the sheet immediately underlying the one fed sheet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
177 words
A closable drive nip adapted to receive the leading edge of the foremost one of a group of sheets which are shingled thereto by operation of a combing wheel, comprising: a drive roller operable to feed the foremost shingled sheet in a given direction downstream of said roller; a nip closing member spaced from said drive roller to define a drive nip; means operable to produce relative movement between said drive roller and said nip closing member to effect closing of said drive nip; a low friction, drive-roller-engaging member mounted on said nip closing member and cooperating with said drive roller to physically push the leading edge of the foremost shingled sheet against said drive roller; and a recessed surface on said nip closing member upstream of said drive roller defining a step operable when said drive nip is closed to positively stop and capture the leading edge portions of the shingled sheets underlying the one which is being fed by said drive roller, to thereby inhibit feeding of the sheet immediately underlying the one fed sheet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The drive nip defined by claim 6 including a soft rubber-like pad mounted on said recessed surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
75 words
The drive nip defined by claim 7 wherein said drive roller is mounted for rotation on a fixed position axis, said nip closing member comprises an inclined pivoted plate whose effective pivot point is upstream of said drive roller, said drive roller engaging member comprises low friction means, said soft pad when in said nip closing position defining a ramp inclined upward toward the nip formed by said low friction means and said drive roller.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
59 words
The drive nip defined by claim 8 including a fixed position sheet guide having an opening through which said pivoted plate extends when in the nip closing position, and under which said pivoted plate resides when in the nip open position so as to allow unobstructed shingling of sheets while their leading edges are guided by said sheet guide.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The drive nip defined by claim 9 including force means operable to physically push the leading edge of shingled sheets away from said drive roller and toward said pivoted plate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
72 words
The drive nip defined by claim 10 wherein said low friction means is a nonresilient pad, and said soft pad is thinner than said low friction pad and abuts said low friction pad to form an obstructing step upstream of said nip, said step being operable to additionally capture the leading edge portion of at least the sheets underlying the one fed sheet, which sheets may tend to move due to intersheet-friction.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-09-11 | 1982-03-13 | 1982-09-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-09-11 | 1986-03-13 | 1986-09-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-09-11 | 1990-03-13 | 1990-09-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |