Duplex electrostatic copying machine
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorYasuhiro Tabata
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A chain rotates adjacent to and at the same speed as a photoconductive drum and first and second clamps fixed to the chain grip the edges of copy sheets to move the copy sheets in synchronized contact with the drum for toner image transfer from the drum to the sheets. The first clamp grips an edge of a copy sheet for transfer of an image to the front side of the copy sheet. A turnover actuator and feed roller pair then release the first clamp and move the copy sheet away from the chain. As the second clamp approaches the actuator, it is opened thereby and the feed roller pair feeds the copy sheet back toward the chain so that the opposite edge of the copy sheet is gripped by the second clamp. The copy sheet is thereby turned over and conveyed by the chain to the drum for transfer of a toner image to the back side thereof.
Claims8
In a duplex electrostatic copying apparatus comprising a moving photoconductive member, means for forming toner images on the photoconductive member, conveyor means for moving a rectangular copy sheet into synchronized engagement with the photoconductive member to transfer toner images thereto, and turnover means associated with the conveyor means in such a manner as to detach the copy sheet from the conveyor means after a toner image is formed on a front side of the copy sheet, turn over the copy sheet and reattach the copy sheet to the conveyor means for transfer of a toner image to a back side of the copy sheet, the improvement wherein the conveyor means comprises:
- a moving endless chain;
- and
- first and second spaced releasable clamps fixed to the chain for movement therewith, the first clamp clamping a first edge of the copy sheet to the chain to form the toner image on the front side of the copy sheet, the second clamp clamping a second edge of the copy sheet which is opposite to the first edge to the chain to form the toner image on the back side of the copy sheet;
- the turnover means comprising:
- actuator means having an actuator member engageable with the first and second clamps to cause the first clamp to release the first edge of the copy sheet to detach the copy sheet from the chain and the second clamp to clamp the second edge of the copy sheet to reattach the copy sheet to the chain;
- and
- feed means to engage with and move the copy sheet, when the first clamp engages with the actuator member and is actuated thereby to release the first edge of the copy sheet, away from the chain to a position in which the second edge of the copy sheet is clear of the chain and to move the copy sheet back toward the chain when the second clamp engages with the actuator member so that the second edge of the copy sheet is clamped by the second clamp when the second clamp disengages from the actuator member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.