US 6,305,684 B1Granted

Feed rollers with reversing clutch

OwnerWerner R. Lightner, Donald J. Stefanich, Jr. +3inventors

InventorsWerner R. Lightner, Donald J. Stefanich, Jr., Jim T. Russo, Jose S. Pioquinto, Paul E. Brodzik

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The invention is a sheet feeder for engaging and removing a sheet of paper or other material from a stack and feeding it along a path. The sheet feeder can include a sheet separator designed for advancing the engaged sheet while retarding any adjacent sheets. The separator has a driven advancing roller nipped with a driven retarding roller coupled to its drive by a friction clutch. The clutch normally slips and permits the retarding roller to be driven forward by the advancing roller when one or no sheets are engaged between the advancing and retarding rollers. The clutch engages and drives the retarding roller backward so long as a multifeed of two or more sheets is engaged between the advancing and retarding rollers.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A sheet separator, comprising:

(a) a sheet path along which a sheet having a first and second surfaces is passed;
(b) an advancing roller positioned to drive forward the first surface of a sheet in said sheet path;
(c) a retarding roller positioned to drive the second surface of a sheet in said sheet path;
(d) a drive for driving said retarding roller backward;
(e) a roller shaft on which said retarding roller is mounted in fixed relation, said roller shaft extending axially from said retarding roller;
and
(f) a friction clutch spaced from said retarding roller and connecting said drive with said roller shaft, said clutch permitting said retarding roller to be driven forward when fewer than two sheets are engaged between said advancing and retarding rollers, and said clutch permitting said retarding roller to be driven backward when two or more sheets are engaged by said advancing and retarding rollers.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/262,768Filed 4 Mar 1999
Granted: 23 Oct 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B65H 5/38
Article guides or smoothers, e.g. movable in operation: immovable in operation
B65H 3/06
Using friction forces between articles and separator: rollers or like rotary separators
B65H 3/5223
The retainers positioned under articles separated from the top of the pile: retainers of the pad-type, e.g. friction pads
B65H 3/5261
The retainers positioned under articles separated from the top of the pile: retainers of the roller type, e.g. rollers