# US 6,296,248 B1 · Sheet conveying apparatus

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- Number: US 6,296,248 B1
- Document ID: US6296248B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 09/466,805
- Filed: 1999-12-20
- Granted: 2001-10-02
- Earliest claimed: 1998-12-22
- Assignees: Rico Kagaku Corporation
- Inventors: Yoshitaka Tanaka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6296248B1

## CPC

- B65H 29/16: by contact of one face only with moving tapes, bands, or chains {(with suction belts B65H29/242)}
- B65H 29/52: Stationary guides or smoothers
- B65H 2301/331: Skewing, correcting skew, i.e. changing slightly orientation of material
- B65H 2301/3611: centering, positioning material symmetrically relatively to a given axis of displacement
- B65H 2401/10: Materials
- B65H 2511/216: Orientation, e.g. with respect to direction of movement
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES

## Abstract

A sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a rectangular sheet includes conveying device for conveying the sheet while contacting a bottom surface of the sheet on a conveyance surface and a pair of elastic members disposed on two sides of the conveying device, the elastic members guiding the sheet while contacting respective side edge of the sheet when the sheet is conveyed by the conveying device so that a center line of the sheet coincides with a center line for conveyance.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a rectangular sheet, comprising:
conveying means for conveying said sheet while contacting a bottom surface of said sheet on a conveyance surface thereof, said conveying means including a pair of rollers, each having a rotating axis perpendicular to a center line for conveyance and located along the center line for conveyance, and at least one pair of belt, connecting the pair of rollers respectively, said belts being arranged symmetrically about the center line for conveyance so that a distance thereof decreases in a conveying direction of the sheet, and
a pair of elastic members disposed on two sides of said conveying means, said elastic members guiding said sheet while contacting respective side edges of said sheet when said sheet is conveyed by said conveying means so that a center line of said sheet coincides with the center line for conveyance.

### Claim 2

A sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a rectangular sheet, comprising:
conveying means for conveying said sheet while contacting a bottom surface of said sheet on a conveyance surface thereof, said conveying means including a pair of rollers, each having a rotating axis perpendicular to a center line for conveyance and located along the center line for conveyance, and at least one pair of belts connecting the pair of rollers respectively, said belts being arranged symmetrically about the center line for conveyance so that a distance thereof decreases in a conveying direction of the sheet,
a pair of guiding members disposed on two sides of said conveying means relative to the center line for conveyance, said guiding members being spaced apart from each other at a distance larger than a width of said sheet, and
a pair of elastic members attached to said pair of guiding members respectively, said elastic members guiding said sheet conveyed between said pair of guiding members while contacting respective side edges of said sheet when said sheet is conveyed by said conveying means so that a center line of said sheet coincides with said center line for conveyance.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A sheet conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said pair of guiding members is arranged so that said distance decreases in the conveying direction of said sheet, said elastic members being attached to respective downstream sides of the guiding members in the conveying direction of said sheet.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A sheet conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said elastic member is a thin plate made of synthetic resin.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

A sheet conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said conveying means further comprises a center belt connecting said pair of rollers, said center belt coinciding with said center line for conveyance.