Patent Application
20190276252
Devices such as printers and copy machines are typically equipped with a top-feed bypass sheet feeder for copying onto sheets that are inconvenient or difficult to feed from the regular paper trays inside the printer or copier. These top-feed bypass sheet feeders typically include a presence sensor for controlling the feeding of sheets into the bypass sheet feeder based upon sensed presence of a sheet in proper feed position. The bypass trays are biased or periodically driven upward so that the top of the sheet stack on the bypass tray remains in proper feed position as the sheets on the top of the stack are fed into the device.
Such bypass sheet feeders are not well suited for handling larger jobs as they are typically designed to handle less than 100 sheets, and do not accommodate the loading of additional sheets to the stack ad libitum during a run. Hence, for long runs an operator must constantly monitor the process and add additional sheets to the stack when and only when the bypass tray is empty.
One attempt to overcome these bypass sheet feeder limitations is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,490,964, wherein a bottom-feed sheet feeder is equipped with a pivoting delivery table to feed sheets to the bypass sheet feeder. While generally effective for allowing unmonitored, long run use of a bypass sheet feeder, the weight of the pivoting delivery tray has been found to exert excessive downward force upon the bypass sheet feeder, resulting in frequent feed failures because the bypass sheet feeder is prevented from raising the delivery tray as necessary to trigger the “paper available” sensor. U.S. Pat. No. 8,490,964 recognizes this failing and attempts to remediate the problem by providing an adjustable counterbalancing mechanism for reducing the effective weight of the delivery table. Due to the complexity of setting the counterbalancing mechanism to provide the proper counterbalancing weight for each production run, and need for periodic resetting of the counterbalancing mechanism during a run, the assembly has enjoyed but tepid reception.
Accordingly, a need exists for an assembly capable of quickly, easily and reliably allowing unmonitored, long run use of a bypass sheet feeder on a copier, printer or similar electronic device.
A first aspect of the invention is an assembly adapted to bottom-feed sheets from a stack of sheets to a top-feed sheet feeding mechanism on a device, such as a copy machine. The assembly includes a sheet feeder, a transport arm, and a final height adjustment block. The sheet feeder has a hopper for holding a stack of sheets and at least one feed belt operable for advancing a bottom-most sheet from the stack of sheets. The transport arm is attached to the sheet feeder for receiving sheets advanced by the at least one feed belt at a proximal end of the transport arm and transporting the received sheets in a machine direction to a distal end of the transport arm. The final height adjustment block is translatably attached to and extends along the distal end of the transport arm for limited transverse translation relative to the machine direction.
A second aspect of the invention is a method of feeding sheets to an electronic printing device when the printing device includes at least (i) a sheet feed mechanism for pulling a top sheet from a stack of sheets into the electronic printing device, (ii) an actuatable support for the stack of sheets operable when actuated for lifting the stack of sheets into a position suitable for pulling of a top sheet into the electronic printing device, and (iii) a presence sensor for sensing presence of a sheet in a position suitable for being pulled into the electronic printing device by the sheet feed mechanism. The method includes the steps of (-)placing a transport arm, equipped with a transversely floating final height adjustment block and extending from a bottom-feed sheet feeder, into operable sheet feeding engagement with the sheet feed mechanism on the electronic printing device, with the transversely floating final height adjustment block resting upon the support for the stack of sheets such that lifting actuation of the support for the stack of sheets transversely translates the floating final height adjustment block relative to the transport arm, and (-)thereafter feeding individual sheets from the bottom-feed sheet feeder to the sheet feed mechanism on the electronic printing device.
As utilized herein, including the claims, the term “machine direction” means the direction in which a sheet travels.
As utilized herein, including the claims, the term “cross machine direction” means the direction in the plane defined by a traveling sheet which is perpendicular to the direction in which the sheet travels.
As utilized herein, including the claims, the term “transverse direction” means the direction perpendicular to both the machine direction and the cross machine direction (i.e., direction of sheet thickness).
As utilized herein, including the claims, the term “generally cuboidal” means having an overall cuboidal shape, and including those with chamfered or bullnose corners, limited cutouts, shoulder extensions, etc.
As utilized herein, including the claims, the term “electronic printing device” includes any and all electronic devices capable of imprinting, marking, embossing or otherwise placing indicia on a sheet, including specifically but not exclusively, copiers, printers and braille embossers.
Referring to
The assembly 100 includes a sheet feeder 200, a transport arm 300, and a final height adjustment module 400.
The sheet feeder 200 can be any of the sheet feeders widely available from a number of sources, including those offered by Thiele Technologies under the Streamfeeder line of products. Exemplary sheet feeders 200 suitable for use in this invention include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,932,338 and 8,336,876, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Generally, the sheet feeder 200 has a hopper 210 for holding a stack of sheets and at least one feed belt 220 operable for advancing a bottom-most sheet from the stack of sheets.
As shown in
Referring to
Referring to
The floating final height adjustment block 420 can have substantially any geometrical shape so long as the floating final height adjustment block 420 is effective for facilitating advancement of sheets onto and across the floating final height adjustment block 420 from the transport arm 300 into feeding position against the sheet feed mechanism F of an electronic printing device P. In a preferred embodiment the floating final height adjustment block 420 is generally cuboidal with a machine direction MD length of 2 to 10 cm, a cross machine direction xMD width of 10 to 100 cm, and a transverse direction T thickness of 0.5 to 10 cm.
The floating final height adjustment block 420 preferably has a weight of less than 1000 grams, more preferably less than 700 grams and most preferably less than 500 grams. A floating final height adjustment block 420 having a weight of substantially greater than 1000 grams can inhibit lifting of the floating final height adjustment block 420 into proper sheet feeding position by the lift actuatable support of a top-feed sheet feeding mechanism F on an electronic printing device P as such mechanisms are generally designed and constructed to lift about 100 sheets of standard sized paper which would weigh about 500 grams.
When the floating final height adjustment block 420 is pivotally attached to the transport arm 300, the floating final height adjustment block 420 is preferably constrained against pivoting more than about 5° as excessive pivoting can interfere with reliable and consistent advancement of sheets onto and over the floating final height adjustment block 420.
The floating final height adjustment block 420 is preferably constrained for transverse T translation relative to the transport arm 300 a distance of between about 2 to 20 mm, most preferably between about 5 to 10 mm Translation of a distance greater than about 20 mm can interfere with reliable and consistent advancement of sheets onto and over the floating final height adjustment block 420, while translation of a distance less than about 2 mm is insufficient to reliably and consistently ensure that the entire weight of the transport arm 300 is resting upon and supported by the actuatable support of a top-feed sheet feeding mechanism F on an electronic printing device P.
The floating final height adjustment block 420 may be conveniently attached at the distal end 302 of the transport arm 300 using a pair of side mounting brackets 410 with a proximal end 411 of each side mounting bracket 410 attached to the transport arm 300 and a distal end 412 of each side mounting bracket 410 projecting a distance in the machine direction MD beyond the distal end 302 of the transport arm 300.
One particular structure for providing limited transverse T translation of the floating final height adjustment block 420 relative to the transport arm 300 is to mount the floating final height adjustment block 420 to each of the side mounting brackets 410 with dual pin-in-slot linkages. Referring to
The top surface 423 of the floating final height adjustment block 420 is preferably in substantial planar alignment with the upper transport surface (unnumbered) of the transport arm 300 and is reasonably flat and smooth for facilitating advancement of sheets onto and across the floating final height adjustment block 420 from the transport arm 300 into feeding position against the sheet feed mechanism F of an electronic printing device P. Referring to
Referring to
The assembly 100 is suited for feeding sheets to an electronic printing device P equipped with (-)a sheet feed mechanism F that pulls a top sheet from a stack of sheets into the electronic printing device P, (-)a support for the stack of sheets actuatable for lifting the stack of sheets into a position suitable for pulling of a top sheet into the electronic printing device P, and (-)a presence sensor for sensing presence of a sheet in a position suitable for being pulled into the electronic printing device P by the sheet feed mechanism F.
Use of the assembly 100 to feed sheets to such an electronic printing device P includes the steps of (-)placing the transport arm 300 of the assembly into operable sheet feeding engagement with the sheet feed mechanism F on the electronic printing device P, with the transversely floating final height adjustment block 420 resting upon the support for the stack of sheets such that lifting actuation of the support for the stack of sheets transversely translates the floating final height adjustment block 420 relative to the transport arm 300, and (-)thereafter feeding individual sheets from the bottom-feed sheet feeder 200 to the sheet feed mechanism F on the electronic printing device P.
The assembly 100 is preferably configured and arranged, and positioned relative to the sheet feed mechanism F on the electronic printing device P, such that lifting actuation of the support for the stack of sheets does not pivot the transport arm 300 relative to the bottom-feed sheet feeder 200. The assembly 100 is also preferably configured and arranged, and positioned relative to the sheet feed mechanism F on the electronic printing device P, such that the transport arm 300, inclusive of the floating final height adjustment block 420, applies a downward force of less than 5 Newton, preferably less than 3 Newton and most preferably less than 2 Newton upon the support for the stack of sheets. Application of a downward force of substantially greater than 5 Newton upon the support for the stack of sheets can inhibit lifting of the floating final height adjustment block 420 into proper feeding position by the support for the stack of sheets on the electronic printing device P as such mechanisms are generally designed and constructed to lift about 100 sheets of standard sized paper which would exert a downward force of about 5 Newton.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US17/65045 | 12/7/2017 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62430981 | Dec 2016 | US |
