Document feeder
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsMichael D. Avritt, Richard A. Lamos
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A document feed mechanism for feeding original documents to a copier imaging station. A bottom feed shingler wheel generates a shingled stack of original documents in a tray having a crowned shape, the tray crest being located forward of the shingler wheel. The shingled stack is supplied to a nip formed by an intermittently operated feed roll and a restraint roll which is rearwardly biased via a magnetic hysteresis slip clutch. The normal force on a sheet in the nip and the rearward bias force of the restraint roll are specifically controlled. The feed and restraint rolls intermittently supply single sheets to an imaging station feed mechanism.
Claims6
A document feeding apparatus comprising:
- a downwardly inclined tray for supporting documents for feeding, said tray having a crowned shape within said incline;
- shingling means protruding above said tray rearwardly of the crest of said crowned portion for forming a shingled stack of said supported documents;
- separator roll means forward of the crest of said crowned portion for feeding the bottommost document of said shingled stack;
- and
- restraint roll means forward of the crest of said crowned portion biased for rotation in the rearward direction and forming a nip with said separator roll means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.