Rotary ink stamp for a copier/printer apparatus
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorJohn D. Zoltner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary stamp mechanism includes a drive wheel with a curved stamp holding housing held thereon by a sheet metal band to enable replacement and adjustment of the stamp housing. A stamping sequence is selected by a machine operator and the leading edge of the next succeeding copy sheet triggers rotation of the drive wheel and during one complete revolution of the drive wheel the copy sheet is stamped with a desired logo. A pawl on the drive wheel is lifted by the copy sheet for stamping purposes and gravity returns the pawl to its home position which in turn stops the drive wheel in its initial position for succeeding stamping.
Claims15
In a printing apparatus adapted to print copies of page image information onto copy sheets and forward them into an output tray, the improvement of a low-cost stamping mechanism for use in such a printing apparatus for inking a special message onto the copy sheets, comprising:
- a printwheel;
- stamp means positioned on a portion of the outer circumference of said printwheel;
- copy sheet transport means through which a copy sheet is driven by said printwheel;
- and
- latch means including a pawl attached to said printwheel for preventing movement of said printwheel except when stamping of copy sheets is required, said pawl resting solely due to gravity in interfering relation in a cut-out portion of said copy sheet transport path means with respect to copy sheets passing through said copy sheet transport means, said pawl being lifted from said cut-out portion of said copy sheet transport path means by the leading edge of a driven copy sheet and falls solely due to gravity and centrifugal force back into said cut-out portion of said copy sheet transport path means once the trailing edge of the copy sheet passes said pawl.
A low cost, compact rotary stamp apparatus, comprising:
- a print wheel having a curved stamp holding housing attached thereto;
- copy sheet transport path means through which a copy sheet is driven by said print wheel;
- and
- a pawl positioned for pivotal rotation on said print wheel and adapted to rest in a home position within a cut-out portion of said copy sheet transport path means such that movement of said print wheel is inhibited, said pawl being adapted to be lifted from said cut-out portion of said copy sheet transport path means by the leading edge of a driven copy sheet and to fall due solely to gravity and centrifugal force back into said cut-out portion of said copy sheet transport path means once the trailing edge of the copy sheet passes said pawl.
In a printing apparatus adapted to place original page image information onto a photoconductive surface and to print copies of the page image information onto copy sheets and forward them into an output tray, the improvement of a low-cost stamping mechanism for use in such a printing apparatus for inking a special message onto the copy sheets, comprising:
- a multi-mode printwheel;
- stamp means positioned on a portion of the outer circumference of said printwheel;
- copy sheet transport means through which a copy sheet is driven by said printwheel;
- and
- latch means including a pawl attached to said printwheel for preventing movement of said printwheel except when said printwheel is in a first mode, said pawl resting solely due to gravity in contacting relation in a cut-out portion of said copy sheet transport path means with respect to copy sheets passing through said copy sheet transport means, said pawl being lifted from said cut-out portion of said copy sheet transport means by the leading edge of a driven copy sheet and falls due solely to gravity and centrifugal force back into said cut-out portion of said copy sheet transport path means once the trailing edge of the copy sheet passes said pawl, and when said printwheel is in a second mode said pawl does not prevent movement of said printwheel while simultaneously being lifted out of and returned to said cut-out portion of said transport by movement of copy sheets through said copy sheet transport means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.