Claims
- 1. A bottom-type automatic document feeder comprising the combination of
- inclined means for providing underlying support for a stack of documents;
- an indexable retard member extending transversely of said inclined means in position to engage a lowermost edge of said stack;
- a traction belt having an upper reach and a lower reach, said upper reach being in frictional contact with said retard member; and
- drive means for periodically bringing the upper reach of said belt into frictional contact with a bottommost document of said stack while alternately applying and equalizing a differential tension on the upper and lower reaches of said belt, whereby the bottommost document is advanced from said stack and said retard member is indexed.
- 2. The document feeder of claim 1 wherein said inclined means is a tray-like support having an aperture formed therein in alignment with said belt, whereby the upper reach of said belt extends through said aperture to contact the bottommost document of said stack.
- 3. The document feeder of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises an eccentrically mounted roller for supporting said belt, thereby periodically causing said belt to advance the bottommost document of said stack and to index said retard member.
- 4. The document feeder of claim 3 wherein said retard member is a rotatably mounted wheel.
- 5. The document feeder of claim 1 wherein said inclined means is slotted to form at least one aperture, said drive means comprises a first concentrically mounted pulley and a second eccentrically mounted pulley, and said belt is trained around said first and second pulleys in alignment with said aperture.
- 6. The document feeder of claim 5 wherein said second pulley is beneath said inclined means, and further including means for driving said first pulley, whereby said second pulley acts as an idler to periodically cause said belt to advance the bottommost document of said stack and to index said retard member.
- 7. The document feeder of claim 6 wherein said retard member is a rotatably mounted wheel, and said second pulley periodically applies and equalizes a differential tension on the upper and lower reaches of said belt to index said retard member.
Parent Case Info
This is a division, of application Ser. No. 253,828, filed May 16, 1972 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,569.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
2907567 |
Schneider et al. |
Oct 1959 |
|
3288461 |
Smith |
Nov 1966 |
|
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Maliwacki, IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Document Picker Cam vol. 11, No. 11, Apr. 1969. |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
253828 |
May 1972 |
|