Patent Application
20090146361
The present disclosure relates to a document feeder flag assembly. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an improved document feeder flag assembly, allowing on the fly, single handed document loading.
Modern table top sorters implement a variety of different approaches to feeding documents out of a hopper and onto a track or document path. Typical systems for feeding and transporting documents require feeding systems to feed documents in order, one at a time, from a stack in a hopper. These systems often include a nudger component to nudge the documents from the hopper into the feeder.
Many large document sorters require feeder flag assemblies, which are essentially mechanisms used to push against a stack of documents in a hopper, forcing the documents up against the feeder/roller/nudger arrangement. Typically, an operator fills a hopper by taking a stack of around 100 to 200 documents in one hand and manually moving a flag with the other free hand to provide space in the hopper to load the document. Filling hoppers in this manner is somewhat tedious, requiring two hands to complete.
Also, due to size constraints of table top sorters, the ability to use designs from the larger document sorters, which allow for on the fly loading, is impractical and far too pricey. Another area of concern in these table top machines is assembly requirements. Larger document sorter designs usually require an assembly line worker to affix components both above and below the baseplate, which slows down assembly time. Furthermore, designs requiring combined top and bottom assembly also require some form of through hole or slot for the mechanism to operate. Through holes and slots can add to document handling problems, causing documents to skew or tear and machines to slow down or hang. Because these designs require access to the bottom of the baseplate for assembly, component replacement requires extra disassembly of the sorter.
For these and other reasons, improvements are desirable.
In accordance with the present disclosure, the above and other problems are solved by the following:
In a first aspect, a document feeder flag assembly is disclosed. The document feeder flag assembly includes a baseplate and a pivot post attached to the baseplate. Further, there is a flag arm having a first side and a second side, the first side of the flag arm is attached to the pivot post. There is also a feeder flag having a first side and a second side, the first side of the feeder flag being attached to a second side of the flag arm. The document feeder flag assembly also includes a resistance device attached between the feeder flag and the flag arm.
In a second aspect, a document processing machine is disclosed. The disclosed document processing machine allows operators to load documents into a hopper with one hand while the machine is operational. The document processing machine includes means for allowing documents to be loaded into a hopper with one hand and means for pushing documents in a hopper against a feeder mechanism.
In a third aspect, a method for loading a running document processing machine with one hand is disclosed. The method includes creating a wedge shape between a flag arm in a document feeder flag assembly and a loaded stack of documents in a hopper, then grasping an unloaded stack of documents with one hand. Next, the unloaded stack of documents is slid into the wedge shape between the feeder arm and the loaded stack of documents in the hopper, thereby displacing the feeder flag assembly, thereby loading the unloaded stack of documents into the machine.
In a fourth aspect, a document feeder flag assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a baseplate and a document surface connected to the baseplate. The assembly further includes at least one first member connected to the baseplate, wherein the first member remains in an orientation generally parallel to the document surface. The assembly also includes at least one second member connected to the first member, wherein the second member changes its orientation relative to the first member and surface, thereby creating a space between the surface and the second member.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the claimed invention.
In general, the present disclosure relates to an improved document feeder flag assembly to be used in a document sorter or other document processing machine. The improved document feeder flag allows for single handed loading of documents into a document hopper by using an innovative flag design.
Referring now to
The automated document processing system 10 includes a document feeder 12 interconnected with a document sorter 14 along a path of travel 16 of documents. The document feeder 12 is generally a document take-up mechanism provided with a large number of documents that are required to be processed. The document feeder 12 generally selects a document from a stack of documents for insertion into the path of travel 16 of the automated document processing system 10. The document feeder 12 generally includes a feeder flag assembly arranged to guide documents into the automated document processing system 10. Further details regarding a possible implementation of the document feeder 12 are described in conjunction with
The document sorter 14 is an endpoint at which the documents have been processed, and can include one or more sorting mechanisms configured to arrange physical documents in a desired manner The path of travel 16 may be defined by any of a number of document movement and/or guiding mechanisms, such as rollers, guides, or other systems able to grip and move documents from the document feeder 12 to the document sorter 14.
A control system 18 is interconnected to the document feeder 12 and the document sorter 14 to control flow of documents along the path of travel 16. The control system 18 can be an application level program configured to control flow and processing of documents. The control system 18 can reside on a general purpose or specific purpose computing system capable of communicating with the document feeder 12 and document sorter 14.
The control system 18 directs a number of document processing tasks to be performed by the automated document processing system 10, as designated and/or selected by user requirements. In the embodiment shown, the automated document processing system 10 includes a scanning system 20 and a printing system 22, directed by the control system 18. The scanning system 20 can scan one side of the documents passing along the path of travel 16, to store text and/or images displayed on the documents. The printing system 22 prints desired characters and/or images onto documents passing by the printing system along the path of travel 16. The printing system 22 can incorporate a print assembly which is configured to print from a stationary printing aperture onto moving documents passing by the printing system along the path of travel. In the example of a check processing system, the printing system 22 can print an endorsement onto the back of a check which is being processed at a financial institution operating the automated document processing system 10. Other functionality may be incorporated into the automated document processing system 10, and other documents may be processed as well, by financial institutions or other document processing entities.
By passing documents through the automated document processing system 10, a large volume of documents can be processed. In the embodiment shown, the documents can receive printing and be electronically captured, such that various records can be stored for each of a large number of documents. In the case of a financial institution processing checks or other documents, that institution can endorse a large number of checks, can capture check images and routing information, and can appropriately sort each document for distribution back to its issuing institution.
From the full position, documents are fed one by one into the document processing system. As the documents are fed, the resistance of feeder flag assembly 100 continues to press against the document stack as it gradually gets smaller. As the stack gets smaller, feeder flag 101 continues to press against the documents and is positioned in a direction generally parallel to the document stack, though both front flag arm 102 and back flag arm 103 are at angles relative to feeder flag 101 and the document stack. The difference in angles between the stack of documents and feeder flag 101, and both front flag arm 102 and back flag arm 103, continues to get larger as the document stack continues to diminish in size. Eventually, if document hopper 201 is not refilled with more documents, all the documents would be fed out of document hopper 201, leaving it empty as shown in
The document feeder flag assembly described herein can be located within a variety of types of document processing systems, beyond the one described above in
The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.
