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US 6,186,497 B1Granted
Low cost multiple output sheet inverter
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorDonald E. Johnston
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A low cost inverter apparatus of includes a dual positionable, multi-function gate and a stationary baffle that guides sheets toward catch or output trays or work in conjunction with reversible rolls to direct the sheets into a duplex path. The dual positionable gate and stationary baffle have points thereon that are positioned to use the beam strength of the sheets to align the sheets with a duplex nip that feeds the sheet into the duplex path.
Claims8
An inverter apparatus, comprising:
- a multi-positionable gate;
- a baffle positioned opposite said multi-positionable gate to form a sheet path therebetween;
- a first nip for driving a sheet towards said multi-positionable gate;
- a second nip for driving a sheet away from said multi-positionable gate;
- and
- a reversible drive nip for driving a sheet away from or towards said multi-positionable gate, and wherein said multi-positionable gate and said baffle include a protruding portion thereon that bend sheets passing thereover in opposite directions.
3 more elements
An inverter apparatus, comprising:
- a multi-positionable gate;
- a baffle positioned opposite said multi-positionable gate to form a sheet path therebetween;
- a reversible drive roll and an idler roll forming a first nip and positioned downstream of said multi-positionable gate for driving a sheet away from or towards said multi-positionable gate;
- a second reversible drive roll and an idler roll forming a second nip downstream of said first nip and positioned for driving a sheet away from or towards said multi-positionable gate;
- and
- a tri-roll device including multiple nips for driving a sheet away from or towards said multi-positionable gate, and wherein said multi-positionable gate and said baffle include a protruding portion thereon that bend sheets passing thereover in opposite directions.
3 more elements
An inverter apparatus, comprising:
- a multi-positionable gate;
- a baffle positioned opposite said multi-positionable gate to form a sheet path therebetween;
- a reversible drive roll and an idler roll forming a first nip and positioned downstream of said multi-positionable gate for driving a sheet away from or towards said multi-positionable gate;
- a second reversible drive roll and an idler roll forming a second nip downstream of said first nip and positioned for driving a sheet away from or towards said multi-positionable gate;
- a tri-roll device including multiple nips for driving a sheet away from or towards said multi-positionable gate, and wherein said multi-positionable gate and said baffle include a protruding portion thereon that bend sheets passing thereover in opposite directions;
- and
- a sensor positioned downstream of said tri-roll device for sensing a trail edge of a sheet as the sheet exits one of said multiple nips of said tri-roll device en route towards said multi-positionable gate, said sensor being adapted to send a signal to actuate said first and second nips to rotate in a reverse direction once the trail edge of a sheet is sensed.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.