US 5,751,298 AGranted

System and method for directly feeding paper to printing devices

AssigneeRoll Systems, Inc.

InventorH. W. Crowley

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A unique system and method for directly feeding sheets into a printing device having a moving image conducting element with a plurality of images placed thereon for transfer to sheet paper and having a wait station for controlling the timing of paper transfer to the image conducting element provides a feeding table to transfer sheets from a source to a printer stack deshingler while bypassing and, thus, eliminating any need for sheet stacks. The movement of each sheet by the wait station into the image transfer element signals the cutting of a sheet from a roll of continuous web on the input side of the feeding table. Once the sheet has moved into the image transfer element the absence of a sheet at the detector signals transfer by the feeding table of the cut sheet to the stack deshingler. Simultaneously, a source of web presents and end of the web representing another sheet to a cutting unit. This sheet is cut when the current sheet at the wait station begins movement into the image transfer element.

Claims7

Dependent claims

An apparatus for feeding sheets to an input port of a printer or other utilization device, the sheets being fed along a single predetermined feed path, the apparatus comprising:

a source of sheets;
a support structure having an upstream end and a downstream end and defining the single predetermined feed path;
a drive mechanism that selectively moves the sheets individually on the support structure along the predetermined feed path from the upstream end to the downstream end and toward the input port;
a sensor that generates signals indicating one of the following position states of a sheet at the downstream end relative to the input port:
(i) a GOING state at which the sensor detects movement of the sheet, when the sheet is being drawn at the input port;
(ii) a GONE state in which the sensor detects the absence of the sheet, when the sheet has gone into the input port of the printer or other utilization device;
and
(iii) a WAIT state in which a predetermined time is to elapse during which a sheet advances fully downstream to the input port;
and
a controller, responsive to the position state signals of the sensor, that controls the drive mechanism to maintain an upstream position sheet in a substantially stationary position in response to a WAIT signal of the sensor indicating movement of a downstream position sheet to the input port, and to drive the upstream position sheet to advance to a predetermined waiting position and readiness for introduction to the input port in response to a GONE signal of the sensor system indicating that the downstream position sheet has reached a more downstream position within the input port.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/481,796Filed 7 Jun 1995 · continuation
Priority: 11 Jun 1990
Granted: 12 May 1998
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification21 codes

B65H 9/163
Inclined tape, roller, or like article-forwarding side registers: tape
B65H 5/025
By belts: between belts and rotary means, e.g. rollers, drums, cylinders or balls, forming a transport nip
B65H 5/066
By rollers or balls, e.g. between rollers: the articles resting on rollers or balls
B65H 5/34
Feeding articles separated from piles; Feeding articles to machines: varying the phase of feed relative to the receiving machine