Claims
- 1. Apparatus for transporting a sheet along a path, comprising in combination:
- a first plate member having a sheet engaging edge along said path for engaging said sheet on one side of said sheet;
- a second plate member having a sheet engaging edge along said path for engaging said sheet on said one side of said sheet;
- a first elastic drive belt having a sheet engaging flat surface and unsupported along said path for engaging said sheet on the other side of said sheet;
- a second elastic drive belt having a sheet engaging flat surface and unsupported along said path for engaging said sheet on said other side of said sheet;
- said plate members and said belts situated with said first plate member edge, said first belt surface, said second plate member edge and said second belt surface arranged in successive vertically spaced relation and such that said belts urge said sheet against said plate member edges when said sheet is engaged by said belt surfaces and said plate member edges; and
- means for driving said belts along said path.
- 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, above, further including means for feeding said sheet into said path such that said one side of said sheet is engaged by said plate member edges and said other side of said sheet is engaged by said belt surfaces.
- 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, above, further including means for receiving said sheet transported along said path.
- 4. Apparatus for transporting a document along a path, comprising in combination:
- a first plate member having a document engaging edge along said path for engaging said document on one side of said document;
- a second plate member having a document engaging edge along said path for engaging said document on said one side of said document;
- a first elastic drive belt having a document engaging flat surface and unsupported along said path for engaging said document on the other side of said document;
- a second elastic drive belt having a document engaging flat surface and unsupported along said path for engaging said document on said other side of said document;
- said plate members and said belts situated with said first plate member edge, said first belt surface, said second plate member edge and said second belt surface arranged in successive vertically spaced relation and such that said belts urge said document against said belt surfaces and said plate member edges; and
- means for driving said belts along said path.
- 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, above, further including document feeder means for feeding said document into said path such that said one side of said document is engaged by said plate member edges and said other side of said document is engaged by said belt surfaces.
- 6. The apparatus according to claim 4, above, further including document loader means for registering and advancing said document along a track including means for enabling said document transported along said path to be received by said document loader means.
- 7. The apparatus according to claim 4, above, further including:
- document feeder means for feeding said document into said path such that said one side of said document is engaged by said plate member edges and said other side of said document is engaged by said belt surfaces; and
- document loader means for registering and advancing said document along a track including means for enabling said document transported along said path to be received by said document loader means.
- 8. The apparatus according to claim 4, above, further including:
- gating means for temporarily retaining said document at predetermined times while said document is engaged between said belts when driven and said plate edges, said belts slippedly engaging said document while retained by said gating means.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a division of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/225,232, filed July 28, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,132, issued May 22, 1990.
US Referenced Citations (33)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
55-84744 |
Jun 1980 |
JPX |
376554 |
Jul 1932 |
GBX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
225232 |
Jul 1988 |
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