Photoconductor storing apparatus

In a copier including a strip-type photoconductor having a plurality of photoconductive sections connected in series for folding on top of one another, each of said sections having an imaging plane, and means for serially feeding the photoconductive sections to and from a storage station, apparatus for storing the photoconductive sections in a zig-zag folded stack at the storage station comprising:

• a. a receptacle having an inlet opening and an outlet opening through which the photoconductive sections are respectively fed to and from the stack, said receptacle including a pair of oppositely spaced walls extending relatively convergently towards one another for guiding the folds of the respective photoconductive sections progressively closer to the outlet opening than the mid-portions thereof in transit through the receptacle;
• b. a pair of tamping means respectively movably engaging opposite receptacle walls and cooperating therewith for guiding photoconductive sections toward the outlet opening;
• c. means for moving the respective tamping means out of step with one another toward and away from the stack including means for resiliently interconnecting the respective tamping means to the moving means so as to maintain each of the tamping means in movable engagement with the receptacle wall associated therewith during only a portion of the movement of the tamping means;
• and
• d. wherein the photoconductive sections each having a leading and trailing fold as fed to the receptacle, the tamping means respectively including a pair of strips, each of said strips of a given pair being spaced apart from the other a predetermined distance, said strips respectively having a substantially L-shaped transverse cross-section, and one of the legs of each of the strips protruding towards the receptacle inlet opening and partially over the stack for deflecting the leading and trailing folds toward the stack, without contacting the imaging plane of the respective photoconductive sections.

In a copier including a strip-type photoconductor having a plurality of photoconductive sections connected in series for folding on top of one another, each of said sections having an imaging plane, and means for serially feeding the photoconductive sections to and from a storage station, apparatus for storing the photoconductive sections in a zig-zag folded stack at the storage station comprising:

• a. a receptacle having an inlet opening and an outlet opening through which the photoconductive sections are respectively fed to and from the stack, said receptacle including a pair of oppositely spaced walls extending relatively convergently towards one another for guiding the folds of the respective photoconductive sections progressively closer to the outlet opening than the mid-portions thereof in transit through the receptacle;
• b. a pair of tamping means respectively movably engaging opposite receptacle walls and cooperating therewith for guiding photoconductive sections toward the outlet opening;
• c. means for moving the respective tamping means out of step with one another toward and away from the stack including means for resiliently interconnecting the respective tamping means to the moving means so as to maintain each of the tamping means in movable engagement with the receptacle wall associated therewith during only a portion of the movement of the tamping means;
• and
• d. wherein the moving means engages the respective tamping means during only a portion of the movement thereof, and the moving means including carrier means adapted to slidably engage the respective tamping means and hold the same in sliding engagement therewith during movement of the tamping means.

In a copier including a strip-type photoconductor having a plurality of photoconductive sections connected in series for folding on top of one another, each of said sections having an imaging plane, and means for serially feeding the photoconductive sections to and from a storage station, apparatus for storing the photoconductive sections in a zig-zag folded stack at the storage station comprising:

• a. a receptacle having an inlet opening and an outlet opening through which the photoconductive sections are respectively fed to and from the stack, said receptacle including a pair of oppositely spaced walls extending relatively convergently towards one another for guiding the folds of the respective photoconductive sections progressively closer to the outlet opening than the mid-portions thereof in transit through the receptacle;
• b. a pair of tamping means respectively movably engaging opposite receptacle walls and cooperating therewith for guiding photoconductive sections toward the outlet opening;
• c. means for moving the respective tamping means out of step with one another toward and away from the stack including means for resiliently interconnecting the respective tamping means to the moving means so as to maintain each of the tamping means in movable engagement with the receptacle wall associated therewith during only a portion of the movement of the tamping means;
• and
• d. wherein the tamping means respectively slidably engage the receptacle wall associated therewith for movement thereon toward and away from the stack, and the means for resiliently interconnecting the moving means to the respective tamping means including a plurality of carriers and a plurality of elongated springs, said carriers respectively adapted to override an end one of said tamping means and become slidably engaged therewith, said springs associated with said carriers on a one for one basis, and each of said springs adapted to maintain the associated carrier in engagement with the tamping means associated therewith.

In a copier including a strip-type photoconductor having a plurality of photoconductive sections connected in series for folding on top of one another, each of said sections having an imaging plane, and means for serially feeding the photoconductive sections to and from a storage station, apparatus for storing the photoconductive sections in a zig-zag folded stack at the storage station comprising:

• a. a receptacle having an inlet opening and an outlet opening through which the photoconductive sections are respectively fed to and from the stack, said receptacle including a pair of oppositely spaced walls extending relatively convergently towards one another for guiding the folds of the respective photoconductive sections progressively closer to the outlet opening than the mid-portions thereof in transit through the receptacle;
• b. a pair of tamping means respectively movably engaging opposite receptacle walls and cooperating therewith for guiding photoconductive sections toward the outlet opening;
• c. means for moving the respective tamping means out of step with one another toward and away from the stack including means for resiliently interconnecting the respective tamping means to the moving means so as to maintain each of the tamping means in movable engagement with the receptacle wall associated therewith during only a portion of the movement of the tamping means;
• and
• d. wherein the tamping means respectively include a pair of substantially L-shaped strips for guiding the incoming photoconductive sections to the stack, and the moving means including a plurality of carriers and a plurality of pre-stressed tension springs, said carriers and springs associated with one another on a one for one basis, each of said springs arranged for resiliently holding the associated carrier in contact with one of the ends of one of the respective tamping means for movement thereof.

In a copier including a strip-type photoconductor having a plurality of photoconductive sections connected in series for folding on top of one another, each of said sections having an imaging plane, and means for serially feeding the photoconductive sections to and from a storage station, apparatus for storing the photoconductive sections in a zig-zag folded stack at the storage station comprising:

• a. a receptacle having an inlet opening and an outlet opening through which the photoconductive sections are respectively fed to and from the stack, said receptacle including a pair of oppositely spaced walls extending relatively convergently towards one another for guiding the folds of the respective photoconductive sections progressively closer to the outlet opening than the mid-portions thereof in transit through the receptacle;
• b. a pair of tamping means respectively movably engaging opposite receptacle walls and cooperating therewith for guiding photoconductive sections toward the outlet opening;
• c. means for moving the respective tamping means out of step with one another toward and away from the stack including means for resiliently interconnecting the respective tamping means to the moving means so as to maintain each of the tamping means in movable engagement with the receptacle wall associated therewith during only a portion of the movement of the tamping means;
• and
• d. wherein the means for moving the respective tamping means includes a pair of rocker arms, the means for resiliently interconnecting the moving means to the tamping means includes two pairs of carriers, a pair of said carriers being pivotably attached to each of the rocker arms, the carriers attached to a given rocker arm being respectively associated with opposite tamping means, a plurality of tension springs, the carriers and springs associated with one another on a one for one basis, each spring interconnecting the associated carrier to the associated rocker arm, and each carrier adapted to slidably engage the tamping means associated therewith for urging the tamping means into sliding engagement with the receptacle wall associated therewith.