Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DOCUMENT HANDLING DEVICE
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This invention relates to a simple and low cost original document
sheet feeder and ejector for a copier.
As copiers, particularly xerographic copiers, have increased in
speed and applications, there has developed an increased need for apparatus
and systems for sequential feeding of original documents to the copying
(imaging) platen of the copier. As copiers themselves have become more
compact and of lower cost, such document handlers desirably are also. There
are also many specialized copying applications for which there is a special
document handling need. For example, as disclosed herein, the capability of
simultaneously feeding and ejecting a plurality of original documents to a
platen for simultaneous copying, especially where those documents are
envelopes, small sheets or cards. A desirable combined feature is the
automatic registerlng of the fed documents in a desired copying position on
the platen.
Even with sma~ler and slower speed copiers it has become increas-
ingly desirable to provide at least semi-automatic document handling, in which
the operator may initially load originals manually into an input of a document
handler, but the document handler then desirably automatically provides the
final feeding, deskewing and platen registration of the documents, and then
automatically or semi-automatically ejects the documents after copying.
These features are desirably all provided with as simple and low cost and
compact a structure as possible.
A lightweight and removable document handler is particularly
desirable to allow conventional manual copying on the same copier. That is,
for the document handler or feeder to be repositionable or removable to
expose the existing conventional transparent copying window (known as the
platen) of the c~pier. This allows the operator to manually place on the same
30 platen other documents, such as delicate or odd siæed documents or books.
Examples of patent literature generally relating to various aspects
of this technology are cited and discussed below.
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OI particular interest is U. S. Patent 4,315,687 issued February 16,
1982 to Breuers et al (Oce-Nederland). It discloses one example of copying
information from small plural original sheets simultaneously, and with a mask
(form overlay) for providing additional information on the copy sheet. In Col.
1, line 54 it mentions subdividing the copy sheet.
The concept of positioning two documents on the platen for
copying simultaneously onto a single copy sheet, and also a further disclosure
of slitting the copying sheet into æparate copies is disclosed in U. S. Patent
No. 3,402,628 to Redding. Note particularly the paragraph at the beginning of
CoL 1.
U. S. Patents No. 3,288,459 issued November 29, 1966 to A. M.
Hitchcock et al and 4,052,054 issued October 4, 1977 to W. R. Cardwell et al
disclosed an original document feeder for simultaneously feeding two original
documents to be copied simultaneously. The former illustrates and particu-
larly describes in CoL 3, middle, through CoL 4, a document tray 2 with a
20 reciprocating plate 54 adapted to hold two documents. It places the
documents on R moving belt transport 3 for transporting the documents
through a downstream scanning station 4. The ejection of the documents~is
subsequently by that transport belt into a tray 92.
U. S. Pats. Nos. 4,367,947 and 4,368,977 were issued January 11
25 and January 18, 1983, respectively, to N. K. Arter et al (IBM). Both disclose a
moving platen copier in which unidirectional rollers 34, 35, provide for
ejection of a document from the moving platen in one direction of movement
of the platen. Note, e. g. CoL 4, last paragraph through Col. 5, last paragraph.ParticuLqrly also noted are the last lines of this paragraph wherein a "movable
30 scrapper blade or finger" is genera11y suggested, but is not further described or
illustrated. Nor is even any suggestion made thst the latter could be
unidirectional or how it could or would operate.
A unidirectional roller 72 is disclosed in a manual assist document
feeder in U. S. Patent No. 3,941,473 issued March 2, 1976 to William Goffe. A
35 unidirectionQl roller for a sheet stacker is disclosed in European Patent
Application Publication No. û 099 248 published January 25, 1984 by R. W.
Hughes et al.
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U. S. Pats. Nos. 3,9i)7,277 issued September 23, 1975 and 3,944,366
issued March 16, 1976, both to Donald A. Robertson, show a sliding platen
cover apparatus manually reciprocal relative to a copier platen for exchanging
documents to be copied on the platen. Although the two structures in these
5 two patents differ, in both a document which has been copied is removed from
the platen by frictional engagement with the cover member as it moves away
from the platen. The documents are manually placed on the platen for
copying.
U. S. 3,988,065 issued October 26, 1976 to R. P. Mileski et al is
10 noted particularly for the small light reflective shields 60 associated with the
document ejection drive wheels 30.
A typical commercial document feeder for a copier with a
stationary (vs. moving) platen has a document transport means such as an
endless belt to transport original documents to the platen for copying, and
15 then to eject them, by movement of the document transport belt over the
platen from a position adjacent the platen, such as disclosed, for example, in
U. S. Patent 4,428,666 issued January 31, 1984 to R. L. Phelps et al, and the
numerous references cited therein.
U. S. Patent 3,915,447 issued October 28, 1975 to B. J. Perno,
20 discloses an endless belt document transport having a plurality of flexible tabs
on the belt for deskewing and registering and gripping document sheets for
conveyance over the platen.
Examples of various other patents generally teaching known
document handlers and copiers and control systems therefor, including
25 document and paper path switches and counters, are U. S. Pats. Nos.:
4,054,380; 4,062,061; 4,076,408; 4,078,787; 4,099,860; 4,125,325; 4,132,401;
4,144,550; 4,158,500; 4,176,945; 4,179,215; 4,229,101; 4,278,344; 4,284,270 and
4,335,949. Conventional simple software instructions in a copier's conven-
tional microprocessor logic circuitry and software of document handler and30 copier control functions and logic, as taught by the above and other patents
and various commercial copiers, are weU known and preferred. However, it
will be appreciated that the functions and controls described herein may be
alternatively conventionally incorporated into a copier utilizing any other
suitable or known simple software or hard wired logic systems, switch
35 controUers, etc.. Suitable software for functions illustrated or described
herein may vary depending on the particular microprocessor or microcomputer
system utilized, of course, but will be already available to or readily
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programmable by those skilled in the art without experimentation from the
descriptions and references provided herein.
The control of exemplary document and copy sheet handling
systems may be accomplished by conventionally actuating them by signals
5 from the controller directly or indirectly in response to simple programmed
commands and from selected actuation or non-actuation of conventional
copier switch inputs by the copier operator, such as switches selecting the
number of copies to be made in that run, selecting simplex or duplex copying,
selecting whether the documents are simplex or duplex, selecting a copy sheet
10 supply tray, etcThe resultant controller signals may conventionally actuate
various conventional electrical solenoid or cam controlled sheet deflector
fingers, motors or clutches in the copier in the selected steps or sequences as
programmed. Conventional sheet path sensors, switches and bail bars,
connected to the controUer, may be utilized for sensing and timing the
15 positions of documents and copy sheets, as is well known in the art, and taught
in the above and other patents and products. Copying systems utilize such
conventional microprocessor control circuitry with such connecting switches
and sensors for counting and comparing the numbers of document and copy
sheets as they are fed and circulated, keeping track of their positions,
20 counting the number of completed document set circulations and completed
copies, etc. and thereby controlling the operation of the document and copy
sheet feeders and inverters, etc
The present invention desirably overcomes or reduces various of
the problems or limitations discussed above and/or in the cited references.
A preferred specific feature disclosed in this specification is to
provide, in a document feeder for a copier with a stationary copying platen
having document transport means movable towards and away from the copying
platen of the copier for transporting original documents to the platen for
copying by movement of said document transport means over the platen from
30 a position adjacent the platen, wherein the improvement comprises:
holding means, engageable and disengageable by movement of said
document transport means, for holding the original documents against the
platen in position for copying,
and document ejecting wiping means, connected to and movable
35 with said document transport means, for wiping across the platen to thereby
remove documents on the platen and for pushing those removed documents off
of only one side of the platen while further documents are being transported
onto the platen by said document transport means, and while said holding
means is disengaged, with said movement of said document transport means
towards the platen,
said wiping means and said document transport means being
adapted to prevent said wiping means from engaging said further documents
being transported onto the platen by said document transport means.
Additional specific features disclosed herein are such as wherein
said holding means for holding the original documents against the platen for
copying comprises a frictional wheel freely rotatable only in the direction of
said movement of said document transport means towards the platen and
vertical~y movable and positioned and biased to engage and press downwardly
against a document transported thereto by said document transport means,
said frictional wheel resisting, by said engagement and by non-rotation, the
movement of a document in the direction of movement of said document
transport means away from the platen, so as to separate a document from said
document transport means during said movement thereof away from the
platen, and then to hold that document against the platen
wherein said holding means for holding the original documents
against the platen for copying further comprises a flexible lightweight light-
reflective backing member extending over a document held against the platen
by said frictional wheel and surrounding said frictional wheel and vertically
movable therewith for providing a document imaging background;
wherein said document transport means includes camming means
for engaging and lifting said frictional wheel vertically away from said platen
and away from said wiping means to provide said disengaging of said holding
means, and for rolling said frictional wheel onto said document transport
means so as to freely roll over a document on said document transport means
during said movement of said document transport means towards the platen;
wherein there are a plurality of independently operable and spaced
apart said frictional wheels mounted over the platen for simultaneous registra-
tions of a plurality of documents on the platen and wherein said document
transport means is adapted to simultaneously feed a plurality of documents
toward the platen for individual engagement and retention by said frictional
wheels;
wherein said document transport means comprises a document
supporting tray reciprocally movable over but spaced above the platen and
adapted to transport documents on top of said supporting tray, and said wiping
means is mounted beneath said supporting tray;
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wherein said wiping means comprises a brush mounted adjacent the
side of said document transport means adjacent the platen and extending from
said document transport means sufficiently to make a document sweeping
engagement with the platen as said transport means moves over the platen;
and
wherein said brush dimensionally extends across the platen trans-
verse the direction of movement of said document transport means.
Various of the above-mentioned and further features and
advantages will be apparent from the example described hereinbelow of one
specific apparatus and its operation. The invention will be better understood
by reference to the foUowing description of this one specific embodiment
thereof, which includes the following drawing figures (approximately to scale)
wherein:
Fig. 1 is a perspective top view of one embodiment of an
exemplary document feeding apparatus in accordance with the present
invention mounted on an exemplary commercial copier; and
Figs. 2-4 are similar (schematic) side views of the exemplary
document feeder of Fig. 1, showing this same feeder in three different
positions in its operation.
Figs. 1-4 illustrate one example of the subject document feeder 10
for sequentially feeding docu ment sheets to one exa mple of a conventional
copier 20 having a stationary conventional copying platen 22. The entire
document feeder 20 is simpl~7 and easily mounted on top of any conventional
copier7 when the existing platen cover or document handler is pivoted out of
25 the way to expose the platen, as is conventionally provided for alternative
manual document copying. The operation of the document feeder 10 is shown
particularly in Figs. 2-4. Documents may be loaded into a document transport
24 while that transport 24 is at one side of the platen 22. The document
transport 24 has a document holding tray 26 on its upper surface into which a
30 document or documents may be easily loaded, and prealigned by a document
rear edge stop or guide 28 and side guides 30. The entire document transport
24 may then be ]inearly moved over the platen by means of its mounting
guides. Here these consist of two linear ball~earing slides or tracks 32 and 34
extending across the front and rear ends of the platen. These slides 32 and 34
35 provide for smooth and reasonably accurate reciprocal movement of the
document transport 24, from its initial position at one side of the platen as inFig. 2, to a position over the platen as in Fig. 3, and a return back along the
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same path to the initial position as in Fig. 4. The slides 32, 34 are mounted atopposite ends to a left frame member 36 and a right frame member 38. The
left frame member 36 mounts over the left side, here the registration edge, of
the platen 22 and the right frame member 38 has vertical end tabs which can
5 fit into a slot in the upper cover of the copier, to the right of the platen, to
provide an appropriate and easily removable mounting of the document feeder
10 to the copier 20. The left frame mernber 36 may also have a hold-down
bracket.
The reciprocal movement of the document transport 24 may be
10 provided manually by an operator handle 40, or by an appropriate motor drive,e. g. the double helex reciprocal lamp drive of the "Xerox" ~'4000" copier and
U. S. 3,775,008.
It may be seen that the tray 26 of the document transport 24, an~
all of its other moving components, with one exception, are spaced above the
15 platen 22 at all times during the reciprocal movement of the document
transport 24. That one exception is a brush 42, which is mounted to the
document transport 24, adjacent the front or platen side thereof and extendlng
downwardly from the document transport 24. The brush 24 extends laterally a
sufficient width to extend substantially from the front to the back of the
20 entire platen, extending between the slides 32 and 34. As the document
transport 24 moves toward and over the platen, as in Fig. 3, the lower portion
of the brush 24 engages and wipes across the platen 22 to remove and eject
any documents on the platen, pushing all removed documents off of only the
left side of the platen into a document ejection tray 44. Thus in each
25 movement of the document transport 24 over the platen, any and all
documents previously placed on the platen are automatically ejected, without
requiring any operator intervention or action or any separate drives or
mechanism.
In this sarne movement in which the document transport 24
30 automatically ejects all the documents in the platen by a document ejecting
wiper 42, the subsequent documents to be copied are automatically fed onto
the same platen 22. Yet there is no interference between these two functions
with the present system. The document wiping or brushing system and the rest
of the document transport 24 are so designed that the brush 42 is prevented
35 from engaging any of the further documents being simultaneously transported
onto the platen by the document transport 24. The brush 42 extends from
beneath the tray 26 while the incoming further documents are transported on
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the top of the tray 26. These documents are not released and placed on the
platen from the document transport 24 until the previous documents have
already been swept therefrom by the brush 42. Likewise on the return
movement of the document transport 24 the brush 42 slides back under the
next document or documents being placed on the platen.
If desired, the brush 42 may be a known conductive, e. g. carbon
fiber, brush to additionally provide platen static elimination.
Considering now the document platen placement and registration
system provided here, this is also provided by a very simple structure. A
lû mounting shaft 46 is provided extending over the platen from the front andrear slides 32, 34. That is, from the outer, stationary, channel portions of
these slides. Pivotally mounted to the shaft 46 over the platen are weighted
arms 48, having frictional wheels 50 pivotally mounted at their outer ends.
There are three such arms 48, each with a wheel S0, spaced over the platen
here because this particular document feeder 10 is specifically adapted to
simultaneously feed three small documents, such as envelopes, statements or
checks. Each wheel 50 has a one-way clutch only allowing for rotation of the
wheels 50 in the direction of the movement of the document transport 24
toward the platen, as illustrated by the rotational arrows in the drawings.
Each weighted arm 48 independently biases and presses its wheel 50 down-
wardly against a document transported thereunder by the document transport
24. Each wheel 50 is positioned to centrally engage, in the direction of
document movement, one individual document from the document transport
24.
As particularly shown in Figs. 2-4, the document transport 24 has a
cam surface 52 at its front or platen-facing ed~Je. The cam 52 is adapted to
engage and lift up all of the wheels 50 (which independently pivot up via their
pivotally mounted arms 48) as the document transport is moved onto the
platen under the shaft 46. The wheels 50 then freely roll up the surface of the
30 cam 52 and then roll over the surface of the tray 26 and over any documents
therein as long as the document transport 24 is moving to the left, i. e. toward the platen. However, when the document transport 24 begins its reverse
movement to the right, as in Fig. 4, the wrap spring, ratchet, or other
conventional clutch associated with each wheel 50 prevents its reverse
35 rotation. Thus the wheel 50 is non-rotatable in this direction of movement ofthe document transport 24 and fully frictionally resists the reverse movement
of the document thereunder. As the wheels 50 are preferably urethane or
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other solid or foraminous high friction material, the document is held in
position under the wheels 50 by this high frictional engagement. Thus the tray
26, which has a lower coefficient of friction, provided, e. g., by polished metal
or plastic, slides out from under the now-retained document, and the wheels 50
retaining that document.
As the document transport 24 is pulled further to the right,
completely out from under the wheels 50, the wheels 50 are now free to press
the document down directly against the platen, and continue to hold the
document in position on the platen until the entire document has been released
10 by the tray 26 and is resting on the platen. The downward and downstream
angle of the arms 48 provides an increased normal force vector component
increasing the pressure of the wheels 50 against the document as the document
transport 24 is moved to the right.
This is also preferably assisted by large white opaque fle~ible
15 plastic document covering members 51 fastened to the arms 48 and surround-
ing and extending from the wheels 50. These provide, in effect, miniature
flexible platen covers, here in the general shape of "mud flaps". They help
hold the document flat and also cover areas of the platen not covered by the
document to provide a proper imaging background.
As noted above, the next or "new" documents are placed on the
platen just after, and with the same movement of the document transport 24,
as the previous or "old" documents were being removed by the brush 42. At
the completion of one reciprocal cycle as in Fig. 4, the document transport is
off to the right of the pLaten and the tray 26 is now empty for the loading of
25 subsequent documents while the previous documents are being copied by the
copier. The copying may be initiated conventionally manually by a switch or
foot pedal. Alternatively, copying may be initiated automatically by a magnet
on the document transport 24 operating a reed switch on the copier when the
document transport 24 is reciprocated over the platen, by passage of the
30 magnet over the reed switch. The magnetic reed switch may be at the side of
the platen and connected in parallel with the "START PRINT" button on the
copier.
Skewing or mis-registration of the documents with this system is
resisted by the plural parallel side guides 30 which, besides providing for
35 compartmentalized loading of individual documents, also keep the edges of the document aligned as the document transport 24 is pulled away from the
documents. Furthermore, by positioning each wheel 50 at a downstream area
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of the platen such that it engages a downstream area of a document centrally
of the document, as shown, the frictional forces between the tray 26 and the
document, as the tray 26 is pulled out from under the document, are providing
a predominantly downstream pulling force tending to deskew the document.
5 The side guides 30 should, of course, be parallel to the direction of movementof the document transport 24 to aid deskewing or resist skewing. Wider or
double rollers S0 may also be provided for this purpose.
The document retention and registration provided by the wheels 50
does not interfere with the ejection of the documents thereunder by the brush
10 42 on the next reciprocal cycle of the document transport 24~ That is, the
pushing of the documents downstream by the brush 42 (to the left side of the
platen) is not resisted by the wheels 50, since they freely rotate in that
direction of movement of the document thereunder. Before the brush 42
reaches or contacts the wheels 50 themselves, they are cammed up over the
15 top of the tray 26 by the cam 52. Thus, for the final ejection movement of the
documents from the platen the wheels 50 and their attached flaps 51 are lifted
totally away from the platen, and out of contact with any document thereon.
As the tray 26 is pushed towards the platen and under wheels 50,
there is a (relatively small) drag on the documents by the wheels 50 in their
20 "free-wheeling" direction of rotation, plus a slight drag of the flaps 51 on the
documents. That is sufficient to automatically slide-register the rear (trail)
edge of each document against the tray 26 rear guide 28. That also
automatically initially deskews each document in the tray 26. The tray 26 has
a fixed end-stop position of slides 32, 34 relative to the platen, and the rear
~5 guide 28 is fixed relative to the tray 26. Therefore each document is
accurately automatically pre-registered to a relative position on the platen.
Summarizing the above operation, plural documents prepositioned
within guides on a simple reciprocating tray adjacent the conventional fixed
platen of the copier are linearly transported on that tray over the platen.
30 There they are each engaged by a roller mounted in a fixed position over the
platen which freely rolls over a document in one direction, but which is
clutehed so that upon the reverse movement of the tray the document is
frictionally removed from the tray automatically by the locked wheel and both
are dropped onto the platen in proper copying position. Meanwhile, any
35 documents previously placed on the platen have been removed in this same
operation and movement by a document ejecting brush wiping across the
platen under but with the tray. With this system, document exchanges can
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take place as fast as the operator can load documents and reciprocate the
document transport 24. The individual documents may be more or less thrown
in between the guides, i. e. with only very rough or crude initial orientation,
yet the documents are placed in position in the platen with considerable
5 accuracy. They are removed from the platen automatically without requiring
any extra step or any additional time.
The present system is particularly suitable for documents which
are difficult to feed with automatic document feeders, such as envelopes of
various materials, thicknesses and contents. As shown here, a semi-automatic
10 document feeder is provided in which documents are individually loaded and
fed. ~owever, it will be appreciated that by appropriate modification of the
tray 26, using known document feeding techniques, that a stack or stacks of
checks, slips, invoices or the like may be placed in the tray 2 6 instead of
individual documents. That is, with a front edge separating lip, or corners or
15 front snubbers, or the like, for the tray 26, the present system may be utilized
for sequential feeding of the topmost sheet from one or more stacks of sheets
in the tray 26.
It will also be appreciated that both the wheels 50 with their arms
48 may be readily repositioned, by sliding them along the shaft 46, to
20 accommodate different numbers or sizes of documents. Preferably this would
be accompanied by a corresponding repositioning, or removing, of side guides
30, so that each wheel 50 is positioned intermediately of each pair of opposing
spaced side guides 30, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The number and position of the
side guides 30 on the tray 26 provides appropriate subdivisions into plural
25 narrow trays for the plural document feeding to be provided. The number of
arms 48 and wheels 50 may be correspondingly increased or decreased.
A particular application of the present system is for generating
three U. S. Postal Service forms 3547 per copier cycle. This is accomplished
by simultaneously feeding three envelopes at a time, each with its forwarding
30 address sticker thereon, to the copier platen with this system. The platen is provided with a transparent forms overlay containing three sets of the
appropriate additional printed information necessary to automatically
generate three complete form 3547 postcard images containing both the
original address and forwarding address information. A reduction (optically
35 reduced image size) copy is made of the composite image of the form and the
envelopes, which are over the transparent areas of the form. Each single copy
sheet, preferably conventional letter size cardstock, containing these three
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composite images is then outputted from the copier through a slitter which
cuts that single sheet into three postcards, as further described in the above-
referenced commonly filed application by the same inventor.
While the embodiment disclosed herein is preferred, it will be
5 appreciated that it is merely one example, and that various alternatives,
modifications, variations or improvements thereon may be made by those
skilled in the art from this teaching, which is intended to be encompassed by
the following claims:
