Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
201 words
Apparatus for positioning sheet-like commodities, particularly for positioning originals in photographic copiers wherein such originals are normally inserted, shifted and/or removed by hand, comprising a support; and a holder on said support, said holder comprising a first section carried by said support and having a first opening, a second section movable with reference to said first section to and from an operative position in which said second section overlies said first section, said second section having a second opening in register with said first opening in the operative position of said second section, a substantially U-shaped hold-down device interposed between said sections and having an open-sided cutout in register with said first opening, a commodity being insertable between said device and said first section so that a selected portion of such commodity overlies said first opening and three sides of the selected portion are held by said device against said first section, and a biasing element provided on said second section and extending along the open side of said cutout in the operative position of said second section to urge the remaining side of the selected portion of a commodity between said device and said first section against said first section.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
201 words
Apparatus for positioning sheet-like commodities, particularly for positioning originals in photographic copiers wherein such originals are normally inserted, shifted and/or removed by hand, comprising a support; and a holder on said support, said holder comprising a first section carried by said support and having a first opening, a second section movable with reference to said first section to and from an operative position in which said second section overlies said first section, said second section having a second opening in register with said first opening in the operative position of said second section, a substantially U-shaped hold-down device interposed between said sections and having an open-sided cutout in register with said first opening, a commodity being insertable between said device and said first section so that a selected portion of such commodity overlies said first opening and three sides of the selected portion are held by said device against said first section, and a biasing element provided on said second section and extending along the open side of said cutout in the operative position of said second section to urge the remaining side of the selected portion of a commodity between said device and said first section against said first section.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said hold-down device consists of elastomeric material and further comprising fastener means securing said hold-down device to said first section so that said device bears against said first section in the region of said cutout therein.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said biasing element comprises an elastic portion which bears against said first section in the operative position of said second section.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for articulately connecting said second section to said first section so that said second section is pivotable to and from said operative position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cutout has a closed side opposite the open side thereof and said hold-down device comprises an elongated strip-shaped portion extending in substantial parallelism with and adjacent to the closed side of said cutout, and further comprising fastener means securing said strip-shaped portion to said first section.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said hold-down device further comprises two elastic prongs flanking said cutout intermediate said open and closed sides and extending substantially at right angles to the longitudinal direction of said strip-shaped portion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said prongs are integral with said strip-shaped portion of said hold-down device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for yieldably urging a portion of said hold-down device away from said first section, said second section being arranged to move said portion of said hold-down device toward said first section against the opposition of said urging means when said second section assumes said operative position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said cutout has a closed side located opposite the open side thereof and said urging means comprises at least one spring-biased post reciprocably extending through said hold-down device and bearing against said first section in the proximity of the closed side of said cutout.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cutout has a closed side located opposite the open side thereof and said hold-down device comprises two elastic prongs flanking said cutout intermediate the open and closed sides thereof, said second section comprising auxiliary biasing elements arranged to urge said prongs against said first section in the operative position of said second section.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said second section has two elongated slots each overlying a different one of said prongs in the operative position of said second section, said auxiliary biasing elements comprising first portions secured to said second section and second portions extending through the respective slots and bearing against the adjacent prongs in the operative position of said second section.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said support is substantially horizontal and said second section has an upper side facing away from said first section in the operative position of said second section, said first portions of said auxiliary biasing elements being adjacent to the upper side of said second section.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for forcing said second section toward said hold-down device and said first section in the operative position of said second section.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of said second section consists of magnetizable material and said forcing means comprises magnet means arranged to attract said magnetizable portion so that the second section is urged toward said hold-down device and said first section.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said magnet means comprises at least one electromagnet installed on said support.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising means for energizing said electromagnet in the operative position of said second section.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first section includes a magnetizable portion disposed intermediate said electromagnet and the magnetizable portion of said second section in the operative position of said second section.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said magnetizable portion of said first section comprises an annular member consisting of soft iron.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
61 words
The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said magnet means comprises a plurality of electromagnets disposed at the underside of said first section and said first section includes a plurality of magnetizable portions each overlying one of said electromagnets so as to enable such electromagnets to attract the magnetizable portion of said second section in the operative position of said second section.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
88 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second section has a substantially rectangular outline and further comprising means for articulately connecting one marginal portion of said second section to said first section so that said second section is pivotable to and from said operative position, said second section having a second marginal portion substantially parallel to said one marginal portion and further comprising means for yieldably urging said second marginal portion of said second section away from said first section in the operative position of said second section.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said urging means comprises a plurality of spring-biased posts reciprocably extending through said second marginal portion and bearing against said first section in the operative position of said second section.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising removable guide means provided on said second section and extending toward said first section in the operative position of said second section to facilitate the positioning of a commodity in a predetermined position intermediate said hold-down device and said first section.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said second section has a plurality of holes and said removable guide means comprises posts reciprocably receivable in selected holes of said second section.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said first section has additional holes in register with the holes of said second section when said second section assumes its operative position so that said posts can extend into the corresponding additional holes on movement of said second section to its operative position.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
64 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said biasing element comprises a substantially L-shaped elastic member having a first leg secured to that side of said second section which faces away from said hold-down device in the operative position of said second section and a second leg extending through said second opening and toward said first section in the operative position of said second section.