Document conveying system

Claim 2

A document conveying system for use with a document illuminating section, comprising: a document storage section which is located above, and at least partly overlaps, the document illuminating section, said document storage section being capable of supporting a plurality of documents therein and having a first document feeding port and a document return port, said ports being located at the same side of the document storage section; means for feeding documents from the document storage section through said first document feeding port; first direction altering means arranged between said document feeding port and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which a document fed from said document storage section through said first document feeding port is conveyed so that it will be conveyed above said document illuminating section from one end thereof toward an opposite end thereof; second direction altering means arranged between said first direction altering means and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed so that it will be conveyed again along the document illuminating section from the opposite end thereof toward the one end thereof; third direction altering means for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed after being illuminated at the document illuminating section so that it will face said document return port located on the same side as the first document feeding port and be returned to the document storage section; a third passageway extending from the third direction altering means to the document illuminating section, and a fourth passageway branching from said third passageway for returning the document from the third direction altering means to the document storage section, and a second switch claw located at the junction of the third and fourth passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document that has had the direction of its movement altered by the third direction altering means.

Claim 3

A document conveying system for use with a document illuminating section, comprising: a document storage section which is located above, and at least partly overlaps, the document illuminating section, said document storage section being capable of supporting a plurality of documents therein and having a first document feeding port and a document return port, said ports being located at the same side of the document storage section; means for feeding documents from the document storage section through said first document feeding port; first direction altering means arranged between said document feeding port and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which a document fed from said document storage section through said first document feeding port is conveyed so that it will be conveyed above said document illuminating section from one end thereof toward an opposite end thereof; second direction altering means arranged between said first direction altering means and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed so that it will be conveyed again along the document illuminating section from the opposite end thereof toward the one end thereof; third direction altering means for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed after being illuminated at the document illuminating section so that it will face said document return port located on the same side as the first document feeding port and be returned to the document storage section; a first document ejecting port, a first passageway leading from said third direction altering means to said document storage section, a second passageway which branches from said first passageway and is connected to said first document ejecting port, and a first switch claw located at the junction of the first and second passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document that has had the direction of its movement altered by the third direction altering means; and a third passageway extending from the third direction altering means to the document illuminating section, and a fourth passageway branching from said third passageway for returning the document from the third direction altering means to the document storage section, and a second switch claw located at the junction of the third and fourth passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document that has had the direction of its movement altered by the third direction altering means.

Claim 4

A document conveying system for use with a document illuminating section, comprising: a document storage section which is located above, and at least partly overlaps, the document illuminating section, said document storage section being capable of supporting a plurality of documents therein and having a first document feeding port and a document return port, said ports being located at the same side of the document storage section; means for feeding documents from the document storage section through said first document feeding port; first direction altering means arranged between said document feeding port and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which a document fed from said document storage section through said first document feeding port is conveyed so that it will be conveyed above said document illuminating section from one end thereof toward an opposite end thereof; second direction altering means arranged between said first direction altering means and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed so that it will be conveyed again along the document illuminating section from the opposite end thereof toward the one end thereof; third direction altering means for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed after being illuminated at the document illuminating section so that it will face said document return port located on the same side as the first document feeding port and be returned to the document storage section; a first document ejecting port, a first passageway leading from said third direction altering means to said document storage section, a second passageway which branches from said first passageway and is connected to said first document ejecting port, and a first switch claw located at the junction of the first and second passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document that has had the direction of its movement altered by the third direction altering means; and a third passageway extending from the third direction altering means to the document illuminating section, and a fourth passageway branching from said third passageway for returning the document from the third direction altering means to the document storage section, and a second switch claw located at the junction of the third and fourth passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document that has had the direction of its movement altered by the third direction altering means.

Claim 5

A document conveying system for use with a document illuminating section, comprising: a document storage section which is located above, and at least partly overlaps, the document illuminating section, said document storage section being capable of supporting a plurality of documents therein and having a first document feeding port and a document return port, said ports being located at the same side of the document storage section; means for feeding documents from the document storage section through said first document feeding port; first direction altering means arranged between said document feeding port and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which a document fed from said document storage section through said first document feeding port is conveyed so that it will be conveyed above said document illuminating section from one end thereof toward an opposite end thereof; second direction altering means arranged between said first direction altering means and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed so that it will be conveyed again along the document illuminating section from the opposite end thereof toward the one end thereof; third direction altering means for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed after being illuminated at the document illuminating section so that it will face said document return port located on the same side as the first document feeding port and be returned to the document storage section; a first document ejecting port, a first passageway leading from said third direction altering means to said document storage section, a second passageway which branches from said first passageway and is connected to said first document ejecting port, and a first switch claw located at the junction of the first and second passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document that has had the direction of its movement altered by the third direction altering means; in which said document return port is located at a higher level than the first document feeding port of the document storage section and the uppermost sheet of the documents supported in the document storage section that have not been illuminated at said illuminating section, said document return port having a ledge extending therefrom for supporting one end portion of the document returned to the document storage section through the document return port; and a third passageway extending from the third direction altering means to the document illuminating section, and a fourth passageway branching from said third passageway for returning the document from the third direction altering means to the document storage section, and a second switch claw located at the junction of the third and fourth passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document that has had the direction of its movement altered by the third direction altering means.

Claim 6

A document conveying system for use with a document illuminating section, comprising: a document storage section which is located above, and at least partly overlaps, the document illuminating section, said document storage section being capable of supporting a plurality of documents therein and having a first document feeding port and a document return port, said ports being located at the same side of the document storage section; means for feeding documents from the document storage section through said first document feeding port; first direction altering means arranged between said document feeding port and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which a document fed from said document storage section through said first document feeding port is conveyed so that it will be conveyed above said document illuminating section from one end thereof toward an opposite end thereof; second direction altering means arranged between said first direction altering means and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed so that it will be conveyed again along the document illuminating section from the opposite end thereof toward the one end thereof; third direction altering means for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed after being illuminated at the document illuminating section so that it will face said document return port located on the same side as the first document feeding port and be returned to the document storage section; a first document ejecting port, a first passageway leading from said third direction altering means to said document storage section, a second passageway which branches from said first passageway and is connected to said first document ejecting port, and a first switch claw located at the junction of the first and second passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document that has had the direction of its movement altered by the third direction altering means; in which said document return port is located at a higher level than the first document feeding port of the document storage section and the uppermost sheet of the documents supported in the document storage section that have not been illuminated at said illuminating section, said document return port having a ledge extending therefrom for supporting one end portion of the document returned to the document storage section through the document return port; and a third passageway extending from the third direction altering means to the document illuminating section, and a fourth passageway branching from said third passageway for returning the document from the third direction altering means to the document storage section, and a second switch claw located at the junction of the third and fourth passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document that has had the direction of its movement altered by the third direction altering means.

Claim 7

A document conveying system for use with a document illuminating section, comprising: a document storage section which is located above, and at least partly overlaps, the document illuminating section, said document storage section being capable of supporting a plurality of documents therein and having a first document feeding port and a document return port, said ports being located at the same side of the document storage section; means for feeding documents from the document storage section through said first document feeding port; first direction altering means arranged between said document feeding port and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which a document fed from said document storage section through said first document feeding port is conveyed so that it will be conveyed above said document illuminating section from one end thereof toward an opposite end thereof; second direction altering means arranged between said first direction altering means and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed so that it will be conveyed again along the document illuminating section from the opposite end thereof toward the one end thereof; third direction altering means for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed after being illuminated at the document illuminating section so that it will face said document return port located on the same side as the first document feeding port and be returned to the document storage section; a first document ejecting port, a first passageway leading from said third direction altering means to said document storage section, a second passageway which branches from said first passageway and is connected to said first document ejecting port, and a first switch claw located at the junction of the first and second passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document that has had the direction of its movement altered by the third direction altering means; and a seventh passageway extending from the third direction altering means to the first direction altering means for returning to the first direction altering means the document conveyed to the third direction altering means from the second direction altering means.

Claim 8

A document conveying system for use with a document illuminating section, comprising: a document storage section which is located above, and at least partly overlaps, the document illuminating section, said document storage section being capable of supporting a plurality of documents therein and having a first document feeding port and a document return port, said ports being located at the same side of the document storage section; means for feeding documents from the document storage section through said first document feeding port; first direction altering means arranged between said document feeding port and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which a document fed from said document storage section through said first document feeding port is conveyed so that it will be conveyed above said document illuminating section from one end thereof toward an opposite end thereof; second direction altering means arranged between said first direction altering means and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed so that it will be conveyed again along the document illuminating section from the opposite end thereof toward the one end thereof; third direction altering means for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed after being illuminated at the document illuminating section so that it will face said document return port located on the same side as the first document feeding port and be returned to the document storage section; a first document ejecting port, a first passageway leading from said third direction altering means to said document storage section, a second passageway which branches from said first passageway and is connected to said first document ejecting port, and a first switch claw located at the junction of the first and second passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document that has had the direction of its movement altered by the third direction altering means; and a seventh passageway extending from the third direction altering means to the first direction altering means for returning to the first direction altering means the document conveyed to the third direction altering means from the second direction altering means.

Claim 9

A document conveying system for use with a document illuminating section, comprising: a document storage section which is located above, and at least partly overlaps, the document illuminating section, said document storage section being capable of supporting a plurality of documents therein and having a first document feeding port and a document return port, said ports being located at the same side of the document storage section; means for feeding documents from the document storage section through said first document feeding port; first direction altering means arranged between said document feeding port and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which a document fed from said document storage section through said first document feeding port is conveyed so that it will be conveyed above said document illuminating section from one end thereof toward an opposite end thereof; second direction altering means arranged between said first direction altering means and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed so that it will be conveyed again along the document illuminating section from the opposite end thereof toward the one end thereof; third direction altering means for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed after being illuminated at the document illuminating section so that it will face said document return port located on the same side as the first document feeding port and be returned to the document storage section; a first document ejecting port, a first passageway leading from said third direction altering means to said document storage section, a second passageway which branches from said first passageway and is connected to said first document ejecting port, and a first switch claw located at the junction of the first and second passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document that has had the direction of its movement altered by the third direction altering means; in which said document return port is located at a higher level than the first document feeding port of the document storage section and the uppermost sheet of the documents supported in the document storage section that have not been illuminated at said illuminating section, said document return port having a ledge extending therefrom for supporting one end portion of the document returned to the document storage section through the document return port; and a seventh passageway extending from the third direction altering means to the first direction altering means for returning to the first direction altering means the document conveyed to the third direction altering means from the second direction altering means.

Claim 10

A document conveying system for use with a document illuminating section, comprising: a document storage section which is located above, and at least partly overlaps, the document illuminating section, said document storage section being capable of supporting a plurality of documents therein and having a first document feeding port and a document return port, said ports being located at the same side of the document storage section; means for feeding documents from the document storage section through said first document feeding port; first direction altering means arranged between said document feeding port and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which a document fed from said document storage section through said first document feeding port is conveyed so that it will be conveyed above said document illuminating section from one end thereof toward an opposite end thereof; second direction altering means arranged between said first direction altering means and said document illuminating section for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed so that it will be conveyed again along the document illuminating section from the opposite end thereof toward the one end thereof; third direction altering means for altering the direction in which the document is conveyed after being illuminated at the document illuminating section so that it will face said document return port located on the same side as the first document feeding port and be returned to the document storage section; a first document ejecting port, a first passageway leading from said third direction altering means to said document storage section, a second passageway which branches from said first passageway and is connected to said first document ejecting port, and a first switch claw located at the junction of the first and second passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document that has had the direction of its movement altered by the third direction altering means; in which said document return port is located at a higher level than the first document feeding port of the document storage section and the uppermost sheet of the documents supported in the document storage section that have not been illuminated at said illuminating section, said document return port having a ledge extending therefrom for supporting one end portion of the document returned to the document storage section through the document return port; and a seventh passageway extending from the third direction altering means to the first direction altering means for returning to the first direction altering means the document conveyed to the third direction altering means from the second direction altering means.

Claim 11

A document conveying system as in claim 1, further comprising a first document ejecting port, a second document ejecting port disposed above said first document ejecting port, an ejecting passageway leading from said third direction altering means to said first document ejecting port, a first passageway leading from said third direction altering means to said document storage section, a second passageway which branches from said first passageway and is connected to said second document ejecting port, a first switch claw located at the junction of the ejecting passageway and the first passageway and a second switch claw located at the junction of the first and second passageways for switching the direction of movement of the document in such a manner that the end of the document serving as a leading end when conveyed through the first passageway leading from the third direction altering means to the document storage section serves as a trailing end when conveyed through the second passageway to the ejection port.

Claim 12

A document conveying system as in any one of claims 1-5, further comprising another document storage section having a document feeding port and arranged above said document storage section, means for feeding documents from said another document storage section through its document feeding port, fourth direction altering means for altering the direction of the document fed from said second document storage section through its document feeding port, and an eighth passageway connecting the fourth direction altering means to the document illumination means.