Method and apparatus for paper control and skew correction in a printer

Apparatus for controlling the skew between a sheet of paper having a leading edge and a trailing edge and the print contained thereon in a printer mechanism, said apparatus comprising:

• a roller assembly having a drive roller and a pinch roller disposed parallel with and adjacent to one another to form a nip therebetween;
• apparatus for supplying individual sheets of paper to the roller assembly;
• a drive motor coupled to the roller assembly for actuating the roller assembly and for operatively advancing and retracting a sheet of paper through the nip of the roller assembly;
• and
• apparatus for applying a drag force to a sheet of paper when a sheet paper is being retracted from said roller assembly away from said nip and toward said supplying means, said drag force applying apparatus permitting the entire sheet of paper from the leading edge to the trailing edge to move with respect thereto when the sheet of paper is being retracted to prevent buckling of the sheet of paper.

Apparatus for controlling the skew between a sheet of paper and the print contained thereon in a printer mechanism comprising:

• a roller assembly having a drive roller and a pinch roller disposed parallel with and adjacent to one another to form a nip therebetween;
• apparatus for supplying individual sheets of paper to the roller assembly;
• a drive motor coupled to the roller assembly for actuating the roller assembly and for operatively advancing and retracting a sheet of paper through the nip of the roller assembly;
• and
• at least one depending finger which forms an acute angle with respect to the sheet of paper and which is in frictional contact with the sheet of paper for applying a drag force to the sheet of paper when the sheet of paper is being retracted from said roller assembly away from said nip and toward said supply apparatus.

Apparatus for controlling the skew between a sheet of paper and the print contained thereon in a printer mechanism comprising:

• a roller assembly having a drive roller and a pinch roller disposed parallel with and adjacent to one another to form a nip therebetween;
• apparatus for supplying individual sheets of paper to the roller assembly;
• a drive motor coupled to the roller assembly for actuating the roller assembly and for operatively advancing and retracting a sheet of paper through the nip of the roller assembly;
• and
• an eccentrically mounted cam whose outer surface is in frictional contact with the sheet of paper for applying a drag force to the sheet of paper when the sheet of paper is being retracted from said roller assembly away from said nip and toward said supplying apparatus.

Apparatus for controlling the skew between a sheet of paper and the print contained thereon in a printer mechanism comprising:

• a roller assembly having a drive roller and a pinch roller disposed parallel with and adjacent to one another to form a nip therebetween;
• apparatus for supplying individual sheets of paper to the roller assembly;
• a drive motor coupled to the roller assembly for actuating the roller assembly and for operatively advancing and retracting a sheet paper through the nip of the roller assembly;
• and
• apparatus for applying a drag force to a sheet of paper when a sheet paper is being retracted from said roller assembly away from said nip and toward said supply apparatus, said drag force applying apparatus comprising a roller rotatably mounted on an axle and being urged into contact with a sheet of paper, said roller comprising a one-way clutch permitting free rotation of said roller when paper is advanced toward said nip, and preventing free rotation of said roller when paper is retracted away from said nip toward said supplying apparatus.