Document edge registration system

Claim 1

In a document feeder for feeding a thin, flimsy, document sheet in a document feeding path downstream to a registered copying position on the platen of a copier, with document deskewing and document lateral edge registration transverse the direction of the document feeding path to the platen and upstream of the platen with skewed roller edge registration means for feeding the document both transversely and downstream, and wherein large radius non-skewed arcuate document guide path means provide arcuate document deforming in the direction of said document feeding path to the platen and document inverting, the improvement wherein: arcuate document edge confinement and control means are provided along one lateral edge of said arcuate document guide path means, said skewed roller edge registration means is mounted in and intermediately of said arcuate document guide path means for providing both lateral edge registration and deskewing of a document therein by transverse movement of the document into alignment with said document edge confinement and control means while the document is arcuately deformed in both said arcuate document guide path means and said document edge confinement and control means, and document feeding means are provided for feeding the document into said arcuate document guide path means and into said skewed roller edge registration means, said document feeding means includes means for releasing the document for preventing interference with said transverse movement of the document by said skewed roller edge registration means, wherein said arcuate document edge confinement and control means comprises a document edge guide having a narrow arcuate slot having a smooth bottom extending along said lateral edge and correspondingly arcuately to said arcuate document deforming, said arcuate slot being adapted to receive, confine closely and uniformly arcuately, and edge register therein, along said bottom of said slot, said one lateral edge of the document, and wherein said skewed roller edge registration means is positioned closely adjacent said slot bottom and adapted to laterally feed said one lateral edge of the document transversely fully into said slot while also feeding the document downstream arcuately in said slot slidably along said slot bottom for said document lateral edge registration and deskewing.