Variable-width friction-feed paper handling apparatus

A variable-width friction-feed paper handling apparatus for feeding paper in a predetermined feed direction, said apparatus comprising:

• a rotatable drive shaft extending perpendicular to the feed direction,
• two carriage assemblies,
• means within each of said carriage assemblies for providing paper edge guiding to minimize undesirable paper buckling including a paper edge guiding means,
• said carriage assemblies being carried by said drive shaft and movable longitudinally therealong for accommodating varying widths of paper between respective edge guides thereof,
• each of said carriage assemblies including paper feed means coupled to said drive shaft for operation thereby and shiftable between a loading condition accommodating placement of paper between said carriage assemblies and a feeding condition,
• each of said paper feed means in the feeding condition thereof being disposed for frictional engagement with the paper to effect frictional feeding thereof in the feed direction;
• and
• wherein each of said edge guiding means comprises a pair of spaced apart paper platforms extending in the direction of paper feeding with interlocking notches and projections spaced therefrom in said direction.

A variable-width friction-feed paper handling apparatus for feeding paper in a predetermined feed direction, said apparatus comprising:

• a rotatable drive shaft extending perpendicular to the feed direction,
• two carriage assemblies carried by said drift shaft and movable longitudinally therealong for accommodating varying widths of paper therebetween,
• each of said carriage assemblies including a drive roller and a pressure roller having parallel longitudinal axes in a feeding position,
• said drive rollers being coupled to said drive shaft for rotation thereby about common longitudinal axes perpendicular to the paper feed direction,
• said pressure rollers also each being rotationably movable about a pivot axis that is transverse to their respective longitudinal axes between a loading position where the longitudinal axis of the pressure roller is transverse to that of its drive roller thereby completely exposing the drive roller and thus accommodating placement of paper between said carriage assemblies and said feeding position, each of said pressure rollers in the feeding position thereof being disposed for rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of said drive rollers and for parallel frictional cooperation with the associated one of said drive rollers frictionally to feed paper therebetween in the feed direction.

A variable-width friction-feed paper handling apparatus for feeding paper in a predetermined feed direction, said apparatus comprising:

• a rotatable drive shaft extending perpendicular to the feed direction;
• and
• two carriage assemblies carried by said drive shaft and movable longitudinally therealong for accommodating varying widths of paper therebetween;
• each of said carriage assemblies including a drive roller coupled to said drive shaft for rotation thereby about a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the paper feed direction,
• a gate means mounted for transverse pivotal movement with respect to the longitudinal axis of said drive roller between a loading position completely exposing the drive roller and thus accommodating placement of paper between said carriage assemblies and a feeding position, and a pressure roller rotatably carried by said gate means and movable therewith, said pressure roller being disposed for parallel frictional cooperation with said drive roller frictionally to feed paper therebetween in the feed direction when said gate means is disposed in the feeding position thereof.

A variable-width friction-feed paper handling apparatus for feeding paper in a predetermined feed direction, said apparatus comprising:

• a rotatable drive shaft extending perpendicular to the feed direction;
• and
• two carriage assemblies carried by said drive shaft and movable longitudinally therealong for accommodating varying widths of paper therebetween;
• each of said carriage assemblies including a drive roller coupled to said drive shaft for rotation thereby about an axis perpendicular to the paper feed direction, a gate means mounted for pivotal movement with respect to said drive roller between a loading position accommodating placement of paper between said carriage assemblies and a feeding position, and a pressure roller rotatably carried by said gate means and movable therewith, said pressure roller being disposed for parallel frictional cooperation with said drive roller frictionally to feed paper therebetween in the feed direction when said gate means is disposed in the feeding position thereof;
• wherein each of said gate means includes a first paper platform, each of said assemblies including a second paper platform, said second platform including a paper edge guide, notches formed in said edge guide, projections formed on said first platform, each of said first platforms mating with a respective second platform during feeding position with the projections of the first platform engaging with the notches of the edge guide of a second platform.