Self-lifting vacuum stripper
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorDonald J. Weikel, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a copying apparatus in which copy sheets are stripped from a reusable imaging surface after the images have been transferred thereto, a vacuum stripping system is provided in which a pivotable, highly apertured, stripping head is normally closely spaced from the imaging surface and connected to a vacuum source to pneumatically capture the lead edge area of the copy sheet. The coverage of the vacuum apertures in the stripping head by the captured sheet pneumatically lifts the stripping head away from the imaging surface into alignment with a copy sheet transport, and shifts the stripping point of the body of the copy upstream on the imaging surface.
Claims6
In a copying apparatus in which images on a reusable initial image support surface are transferred to copy sheets in electrostatically adhering engagement with said initial image support surface, and in which the electrostatically adhering copy sheets bearing the transferred images are stripped from the initial image support surface, the improvement comprising:
- copy sheet transport means substantially spaced from said initial image support surface for transporting copy sheets away from said initial image support surface;
- a highly apertured stripper head with a highly apertured unobstructed stripping surface normally closely overlying said initial image support surface,
- wherein the ratio of the apertured surface area to the non-apertured surface area of said stripping surface of said stripper head is greater than 1 to 1, and said apertures extend through said stripper head to provide substantially unrestricted air flow through said stripper head,
- said stripper head being freely pivotally mounted for rapid movement away from said initial image support surface toward said copy sheet transport means, and
- vacuum means applying a high air flow through said stripper head through said apertures therein sufficient to pneumatically strip a lead edge area of a single copy sheet electrostatically adhered to said initial image support surface away from said initial image support surface to said stripping surface, but with a low vacuum pressure only slightly below ambient pressure, which vacuum pressure is insufficient to pivot said stripper head away from said normal position closely overlying said image support surface,
- said stripper head being automatically pneumatically self-actuated by said same vacuum means to pivot said stripper head and the lead edge area of said copy sheet away from said initial image support surface toward said copy sheet transport means solely by the coverage of said apertures in said stripping surface by said single copy sheet stripped from said initial image support surface increasing the vacuum force on said stripper head, said stripper head being so pivoted by a distance sufficient to substantially shift the stripping point of said copy sheet from said initial image support surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.