# US 5,708,345 A · Compact sheet cutter for a document reproduction machine

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- Number: US 5,708,345 A
- Document ID: US5708345A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/632,775
- Filed: 1996-04-15
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1994-11-25
- Assignees: Xerox Corporation
- Inventors: William E. Kramer; Michael J. Tracy; John L. Webb
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5708345A

## CPC

- G03G 15/6523: {Cutting}
- G03G 2215/00814: Cutter
- Y10T 83/2094: Means to move product at speed different from work speed
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A compact sheet feeding and cutting apparatus is disclosed which is particularly suitable for retrofitting to an existing document reproduction machine. The sheet feeding and cutting components are located within a common housing which can be mechanically attached to an existing machine. In one embodiment, no electrical connections are required between the reproduction machine and the feeding and cutting apparatus. A sheet cutting length is entered into local memory and controls the operation of a dc stepper motor in a sheet cutting mode and a sheet feeding mode. The motor is reversed and operates in a sheet feeding mode to drive feed rollers causing the sheet to unroll from a supply roll. The motor is operatively connected to the drive feed rollers and to the sheet cutter through separate, one-way clutches. The sheet is fed from the roll at a faster speed than the speed of sheet travel within the reproduction machine as it advances to a transfer station. This speed mismatch periodically creates a buckle in the moving sheet which contacts a switch causing it to open and close. The switch thus controls an on/off operation of the motor changing it from a sheet feeding mode into a sheet cutting mode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A document reproduction machine of the type having a moving photoreceptive surface; a charging station for placing a charge on the photoreceptive surface; an exposure station for forming an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptive surface; a developing station for developing the electrostatic latent image with toner particles; a transfer station for transferring the developed image to a copy sheet; and a fusing station for fusing the developed image onto a sheet media, wherein the fusing station includes an input system for advancing sheet media at a first rate, said document reproduction machine further including a sheet cutter, comprised of:
a bi-directional drive motor;
a motor driven feed roller for advancing sheet media toward the input system;
a roller clutch for selectively engaging said feed roller to said drive motor;
a buckle sensor for sensing a minimum size buckle in the sheet media;
a motor driven sheet cutter disposed between said feed roller and said input system, said sheet cutter for cutting the sheet media when said sheet cutter is driven by a motor;
a sheet cutter clutch for selectively engaging said sheet cutter to said drive motor; and
a sheet media length circuit for generating a cut signal when a predetermined length of sheet media has advanced from said feed roller;
wherein said sheet cutter clutch engages said sheet cutter to said drive motor upon the occurrence of a cut signal;
wherein said roller clutch engages said feed roller to said drive motor when said buckle sensor does not sense a minimum size buckle;
wherein said sheet media advances toward the input system at a second rate which is greater than said first rate when said feed roller is driven by said drive motor, whereby an expanding buckle is formed in the sheet media;
wherein said hi-directional drive motor rotates in a first direction when said sheet cutter clutch is engaged; and
wherein said bi-directional drive motor rotates in a second direction when said roller clutch is engaged.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The document reproduction machine according to claim 1, wherein said bi-directional drive motor stops advancing the sheet media after the buckle expands to a predetermined size.