US 4,729,683 AGranted

Paper sheet feeding apparatus

AssigneeZiyad Incorporated

InventorTadeusz Staniszewski

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A paper sheet feeding apparatus is constructed of paper feed rollers arranged in association with a respective paper tray and adapted to be driven by rotation of a printer platen in a forward paper feeding direction, with selection of the appropriate paper tray from which paper is to be fed, by a combination of forward and reverse rotations of the printer platen. The paper feed rollers, associated with each of the paper trays, are mounted on shafts which extend transversely of the apparatus. A plurality of driven gear assemblies are respectively arranged in operative association with the paper feed rolls and are adapted for lateral sliding movement between engaged and disengaged positions relative to a selector gear whose rotation is synchronized with that of the printer platen. In the disengaged position, no drive coupling is provided between the printer platen and the paper feed rollers, whereas in the engaged position, the associated paper feed rollers are coupled to the printer platen via its associated driven gear assembly and the selector gear. The selector gear is mounted on the apparatus and is adapted to be selectively coupled to the printer platen via means of a spring loaded drive arm selectively engagable with a drive pulley which together transfer rotation from the printer platen. In addition to sheets of paper, the paper sheet feeding apparatus accommodates envelopes to be fed from a supply thereof.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A paper feeding apparatus for a printing device, said printing device including printing means for printing on a sheet of paper, and paper advancing means for advancing a sheet of paper being supplied thereto along a paper path upon rotation of said paper advancing means in a paper advancing direction, said paper feeding apparatus comprising first paper storing means for storing a plurality of individual sheets of paper, first paper feeding means for feeding individual sheets of paper from said first paper storing means upon rotation of said first paper feeding means in a paper feeding direction, first driven gear means slidable between an engaged position with said first paper feeding means to cause the rotation thereof in said paper feeding direction and a disengaged position with said first paper feeding means to interrupt the operation thereof, second paper storing means for storing a plurality of individual sheets of paper, second paper feeding means for feeding individual sheets of paper from said second paper storing means upon rotation of said second paper feeding means in a paper feeding direction, second driven gear means slidable between an engaged position with said second paper feeding means to cause the rotation thereof in said paper feeding direction and a disengaged position with said second paper feeding means to interrupt the operation thereof, and transmission means for selectively coupling said first and second driven gear means to said first and second paper feeding means in response to the rotation of said paper advancing means, said transmission means selectively arrangeing said first and second driven gear means in said engaged position upon rotation of said paper advancing means in an opposite direction to said paper advancing direction and selectively arranging said first and second driven gear means in said disengaged position upon continued rotation of said paper advancing means in said opposite direction, whereby individual sheets of paper are alternately fed from said first and second paper storing means upon selective engagement of a corresponding said first and second driven gear means and upon the rotation of said paper advancing means in said paper advancing direction.

A printing device comprising printing means for printing on a sheet of paper, first paper storing means for storing a plurality of individual sheets of paper, first paper feeding means for feeding individual sheets of paper from said first paper storing means upon rotation of said first paper feeding means in a paper feeding direction, first driven gear means slidable between an engaged position with said first paper feeding means to cause the rotation thereof in said paper feeding direction and a disengaged position with said first paper feeding means to interpret the operation thereof, second paper storing means for storing a plurality of individual sheets of paper, second paper feeding means for feeding individual sheets of paper from said second paper storing means upon rotation of said second paper feeding means in a paper feeding direction, second driven gear means slidable between an engaged position with said second paper feeding means to cause the rotation thereof in said paper feeding direction and a disengaged position with said second paper feeding means to interrupt the operation thereof, paper advancing means for advancing a sheet of paper fed from said first and second paper storing means along a paper path upon rotation of said paper advancing means in a paper advancing direction, and transmission means for selectively coupling said first and second driven gear means to said first and second paper feeding means in response to the rotation of said paper advancing means, said transmission means selectively arranging said first and second driven gear means in said engaged position upon rotation of said paper advancing means in an opposite direction to said paper advancing direction and selectively arranging said first and second driven gear means in said disengaged position upon continued rotation of said paper advancing means in said opposite direction, whereby individual sheets of paper are alternately fed from said first and second paper storing means upon selective engagement of a corresponding said first and second driven gear means and upon the rotation of said paper advancing means in said paper advancing direction.

A method for feeding individual sheets of paper to a printing device, said printing device including printing means for printing on a sheet of paper, paper advancing means for advancing a sheet of paper being supplied thereto along a paper path upon rotation of said paper advancing means in a paper advancing direction, first and second paper storing means for storing a plurality of individual sheets of paper, first and second paper feeding means for feeding individual sheets of paper from a corresponding one of said first and second paper storing means, and first and second driven gear means operable between an engaged position with a corresponding one of said first and second paper feeding means to cause the rotation thereof in a paper feeding direction and a disengaged portion to interrupt the operation thereof, said method comprising the steps of arranging one of said first and second driven gear means in said engaged position by rotating said paper advancing means in an opposite direction to said paper advancing direction, arranging the other of said first and second driven gear means in said disengaged position by rotation of said paper advancing means in said opposite direction, said arranging one of said first and second driven gear means in said engaged position and arranging the other of said first and second driven gear means in said disengaged position comprises laterally sliding said first and second driven gear means to and from said engaged and disengaged positions, and feeding individual sheets of paper from one of said first and second paper storing means by rotating the corresponding engaged driven gear means in a paper feeding direction in response to the rotation of said paper advancing means in said paper advancing direction.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.