Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
An apparatus for discharging a sheet of paper from a rotating apertured drum platen, the apparatus including means for maintaining a vacuum within the drum so that the paper is maintained on the drum by vacuum pressure and a guide shroud disposed about the drum, the improvement comprising: means for defining a paper discharge opening in the shroud, means for interrupting said vacuum means so as to interrupt the vacuum within the drum thereby allowing the paper to come to rest within the shroud; means for reapplying the vacuum to the rotating drum whereby the rotating drum boosts the paper from the shroud through the discharge opening; and said drum being coupled to a shaft encoder generating a pulse train related to the rotation of the drum and wherein said vacuum interrupting means includes a counter driven by said pulse train and means for decoding at least one first selected state of said counter, said selected counter state determining when said interrupting means interrupts the vacuum pressure within the drum.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
170 words
An apparatus for discharging a sheet of paper from a rotating apertured drum platen, the apparatus including means for maintaining a vacuum within the drum so that the paper is maintained on the drum by vacuum pressure and a guide shroud disposed about the drum, the improvement comprising: means for defining a paper discharge opening in the shroud, means for interrupting said vacuum means so as to interrupt the vacuum within the drum thereby allowing the paper to come to rest within the shroud; means for reapplying the vacuum to the rotating drum whereby the rotating drum boosts the paper from the shroud through the discharge opening; and said drum being coupled to a shaft encoder generating a pulse train related to the rotation of the drum and wherein said vacuum interrupting means includes a counter driven by said pulse train and means for decoding at least one first selected state of said counter, said selected counter state determining when said interrupting means interrupts the vacuum pressure within the drum.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes a selectively operable door covering said discharge opening and wherein said selectively operable door is responsive to at least one second selected state of said counter, said door being opened during the reapplication of vacuum within said drum.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said vacuum is released for a first preselected number of sequential counter states and said door is open for a second preselected number of sequential counter states and wherein at least one of said first vacuum release counter states corresponds to at least one of said second door counter states.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus of claim 3 which further includes means for generating a signal in response to a preselected position of the paper with respect to the shroud and counter control means responsive to said paper position signal for starting said counter so that the states of said counter are related to the rotational position of the paper upon the drum.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
78 words
A method for removing a sheet of paper maintained on a rotating drum by a vacuum pressure created within the drum, the drum being substantially surrounded by a shroud defining a discharge opening comprising the steps of: releasing the vacuum created within the drum to allow the paper to come to rest within the shroud; and reapplying the vacuum to the rotating drum whereby the rotating drum boosts the paper out of the shroud through the discharge opening.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
78 words
A method for removing a sheet of paper maintained on a rotating drum by a vacuum pressure created within the drum, the drum being substantially surrounded by a shroud defining a discharge opening comprising the steps of: releasing the vacuum created within the drum to allow the paper to come to rest within the shroud; and reapplying the vacuum to the rotating drum whereby the rotating drum boosts the paper out of the shroud through the discharge opening.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 5 which further includes the step of opening a door covering the discharge opening in the shroud prior to the step of reapplication of the vacuum within the drum to allow the paper to pass therethrough.