Back to results
US 4,023,792 AGranted
Sheet feeding apparatus
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsFrazer D. Punnett, Charles H. Schmidt, Jr., Donald W. Tates
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sheet feeding apparatus in which a stack of sheet material is moved from a non-feeding to a feeding position for advancing successive uppermost sheets therefrom along a substantially common path.
Claims8
A method of forwarding, along a substantially common path of travel, successively separated sheets from a stack of sheet material, including the steps of:
- supporting a feed roll substantially fixedly;
- moving the stack of sheet material from a non-feeding position, in which the uppermost sheet of the stack is spaced from the feed roll, to a feeding position, in which the uppermost sheet of the stack engages the feed roll;
- rotating the feed roll in a first direction to move the uppermost sheet in a rearwardly direction forming a buckle therein to separate the sheet from the remainder of the stack;
- rotating the feed roll in a second direction opposed from the first direction to move the uppermost sheet in a forwardly direction;
- aligning the uppermost sheet after a portion thereof moves in a forwardly direction;
- returning the remainder of the stack to the non-feed position;
- and
- advancing the uppermost sheet in the forward direction after said step of aligning and substantially simultaneously with said step of returning the remainder of the stack to the non-feed position, thereby minimizing the frictional drag exerted by the remainder of the stack on the uppermost sheet during the movement thereof in the forwardly direction.
5 more elements
A reproducing apparatus of the type having a storage compartment for holding a stack of sheet material therein and a moving image bearing member, wherein the improvement includes:
- a frame member secured substantially fixedly to the storage compartment;
- at least one feed roll mounted rotatably on said frame member;
- means for moving the stack of sheet material from a non-feeding position, in which the uppermost sheet of the stack is spaced from said feed roll, to a feeding position, in which the uppermost sheet engages said feed roll;
- and
- means for rotating said feed roll in a first direction and a second direction, said feed roll being rotated in a first direction to move the uppermost sheet in a rearwardly direction forming a buckle therein to separate the uppermost sheet from the remainder of the stack and said feed roll rotating in the second direction to move the uppermost sheet in a forwardly direction;
- means for aligning the uppermost sheet after a portion thereof means in a forwardly direction;
- means for returning the remainder of the stack to the non-feed position;
- and
- means for advancing the uppermost sheet in the forward direction after the alignment thereof by said aligning means and substantially simultaneously with said returning means moving the remainder of the stack to the non-feed position, thereby minimizing the frictional drag exerted by the remainder of the stack on the uppermost sheet during the movement thereof in the forward direction.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.