Guiding pathway

A method for guiding an item of media travelling along a pre-determined transport pathway, comprising:

• urging an item of media along an arcuate guide surface of a guide body;
• driving at least one drive roller comprising an outer drive surface to thereby engage an outer item engaging surface of at least one co-operating pulley member that extends through an opening in the guide surface and rotate the at least one co-operating pulley member;
• and
• lifting the item away from the guide surface at an arcuate region of the transport pathway via the rotating item engaging surface when the item is between the outer item engaging surface of the at least one co-operating pulley member and the outer drive surface of the at least one drive roller.

Apparatus for guiding an item of media travelling along a pre-determined transport pathway, comprising:

• a guide body comprising an arcuate guide surface and at least one pulley shaft support including a substantially C-shaped slot having an inner generally curved surface region and a substantially linear abutment surface region;
• at least one drive roller comprising an outer drive surface;
• and
• at least one pulley member having an outer item engaging surface that extends through an opening in the guide surface and is urged against the outer drive surface, wherein the at least one pulley member includes at least a pair of pulley members each having a groove extending circumferentially around a respective circular engaging surface and arranged to rotate about a respective pulley shaft supported in a respective pulley shaft support of the guide body wherein a resilient “O” ring member is looped around the grooves in the pair of pulley members;
• wherein the drive roller and pulley member co-operate to lift an item away from the guide surface at an arcuate region of the transport pathway.

Apparatus for guiding an item of media travelling along a pre-determined transport pathway, comprising:

• a guide body comprising an arcuate guide surface having a first radius of curvature;
• at least one drive roller comprising a substantially cylindrical outer drive surface having a radius of curvature substantially equal to the first radius of curvature;
• and
• at least one pulley member having an outer item engaging surface that extends through an opening in the guide surface and is urged against the outer drive surface;
• wherein the drive roller and pulley member co-operate to lift an item away from the guide surface at an arcuate region of the transport pathway.

A method for guiding an item of media travelling along a pre-determined transport pathway, comprising:

• urging an item of media along an arcuate guide surface of a guide body;
• driving at least one drive roller comprising an outer drive surface to thereby rotate at least one co-operating pulley member that comprises an outer item engaging surface that extends through an opening in the guide surface;
• lifting the item away from the guide surface at an arcuate region of the transport pathway via the rotating item engaging surface;
• supporting a pulley shaft of the pulley member in a substantially C-shaped slot comprising an inner generally curved surface region that includes a substantially linear abutment surface;
• urging the pulley shaft against the linear abutment surface as the item of media is pinched between the drive roller and the pulley member;
• and
• as the pulley shaft is urged against and rides along the linear abutment surface, simultaneously and automatically increasing an urging force by stretching a resilient “O” ring that is arranged to urge the pulley towards the roller.