US 4,786,045 AGranted

Offsetting and registration paper transport

AssigneeXerox Corporation

InventorRonald W. Sam

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A registration mechanism for offsetting paper sets against a registration edge which is alternately in an inboard and an outboard position. The paper sheet is urged against the registration edge by means of two rotating urathane paddle wheels positioned relatively closely to the registration edge, but the sheet is prevented from generating too much angular velocity by two restraining means in the form of TEFLON balls held in retainers which prevent the balls from moving laterally but allow the balls to move vertically and rotationally, these restraining means located relatively further away from the registration edge. Because the mechanism is operating in the absence of a sheet of paper most of the time, a freely spinning roller is provided in a space in the base plate under each wheel which normally is driven by the wheel in the absence of a sheet of paper at a speed sychronous to that of the wheel, thereby lessening the wear on the wheel.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A mechanism for offsetting and registering a sheet of paper as it is traveling in a forward direction so that the outboard edge of said paper is brought into contact with a registration edge, comprising,

first means for urging said sheet forward and in the outboard direction, the distance between said first means for urging and said registration edge being less than half the width of the leading edge of said sheet, said first means comprising a paddlewheel comprising a central hub and a plurality of vanes, said vanes being relatively short and numbering between two and four to allow a period of no contact between said paddlewheel and paper between succesive contacts between said paper and paddlewheel vanes, and
second means for retarding the motion of said sheet comprising a retainer, and a ball which is retained within said retainer, and retainer comprising surfaces on all sides of said ball to restrain the translational movement of said ball while allowing said ball to move vertically and rotationally, said second means located between said first means for urging and the inboard edge of said sheet.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.