(54) PAPER FEED(71) I, BERNARD APTROOTSOLOWAY, a British Subject, of 14Cathedral Close, Norwich, NR1 4DZ, Norfolk, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a Patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:This invention relates to a paper feed device.
At present high speed printers move continuous stationery by means of pins which engage in perforations at the edges of the paper. The drive is very accurate but cannot handle individual items of nonperforated paper. Non-perforated paper such as stationary of any size, for example paper to be loaded into a typewriter, is moved by means of a platen and pinch rollers. The pinch line between the platen and pinch rollers is virtually line contact and the clamped area so small that slip and skew often occur.
Similarly photocopiers handle paper in many ways but if a paper of different size is required the entire supply stack must be changed. Also the completed sheets are stacked in the reverse order to that entered.
An example of a conventional form of paper feed is illustrated in my prior BritishPatent Specification No. 1,422,347 in Figures 4 and 5. The present invention constitutes an improvement on the feed device disclosed therein and although the feed device of the present invention may be used to advantage with the system described in my British Patent Specification No.
1,422,347, it is understood that the feed device is equally applicable for use in, for example, typewriter and photocopying machines.
According to the present invention a paper feed device comprises a platen roller, carrier means for supporting three rollers with their longitudinal axes, about which they are freely rotatable, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the platen roller, the longitudinal axes of two of the rollers being supported for movement in directions towards and away from the longitudinal axis of the platen roller, and at least one endless belt disposed about the three rollers so as to engage an arcuate surface portion of the platen roller.
Preferably the longitudinal axis of the third roller is also supported for movement relative to the longitudinal axis of the platen roller and is urged by resilient means in a direction away from the longitudinal axis of the platen roller. However in one embodiment of the invention the third roller may be fixed.
The paper feed device of the present invention handles sheets of paper, envelopes and any other with the same accuracy as that of a pin wheel drive but without the need for side perforations. Items are loaded head and face upwards in a single manual motion which correctly aligns the paper to the platen line. Loading is from the front and may be at a slightly inclined slope or parallel to the desk surface and on completion each item is stacked automatically such that when the complete stack is removed and turned face upwards each item faces the operator as entered and in the order of entry. The resilient mounting of two of the rollers allows the device to automatically adjust to any paper thickness or for example to any localised extra thickness such as staples or pins.
According to another aspect of the invention a paper feed device comprises a platen roller, three roller supported for rotation with their longitudinal axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the platen roller, and an endless belt disposed about the three rollers two of the rollers being resiliently mounted and disposed in such a position relative to the platen roller that the endless belt en gages an arcuate surface portion of the platen roller.
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiments of paper feed device and includes some of the components in individual perspective;Figure 2 is a side elevation of a second embodiment shown arranged as a feed device for a data entry system as disclosed in my prior British Patent Specification No.
1,422,347;Figure 3 is a frontal view on an enlarged scale of the paper feed device looking in the direction of the arrow 3; andFigure 4 is a view, also on an enlarged scale, of the paper feed device of Figure 2 from above looking in the direction ofArrow 4.
In Figure 1 of the drawings a paper feed device 101 comprises 3 rollers 102, 103 and 104, supported with their longitudinal axes, about which they are freely rotatable, in triangular formation and parallel to the longitudinal axis of a platen roller 105. the axis of the roller 104 is urged by resilient means in the form of a spring 106 in a direction away from the longitudinal axis of the platen roller 105. The longitudinal axes of rollers 102 and 103 are supported for movement in directions towards and away from the longitudinal axis of the platen roller 105. A "non-stretch" endless belt 107 is disposed about the 3 rollers 102, 103, and 104, and, due to the disposition of the rollers 102 and 103, the endless belt contacts a substantial arcuate surface portion 108 of the platen roller 105.
The rollers 102 and 103 which are movable relative to the platen roller 105, each have a bearing shafts 109 which are located in seatings 110 of fulcrum devices 111 and 112. The fulcrum devices 111 and 112 each comprise 2 bars 113 spaced apart by a spacer member 114. The bars 113 accommodate the respective seatings 110 and in addition have seatings 115 whereby the fulcrum devices are pivotally mounted about fixed shafts 116. The shafts 116 are fixed parallel with the axis of the platen roller iso5.
As seen best in the individual perspective views in Figure 1 the roller 104 is flanged to restrain the belt 107 from excessive sideways movement. The roller 104 has bearings 117 which are seated in seatings 118 in a fulcrum device 119. The fulcrum device 119 comprises two parallel bars 120 spaced apart by spacer members 121 and 122. The spacer bar 122 is provided with a seating 123 whereby the fulcrum device 119 is pivotally mounted upon the lower shaft 116 as seen inFigure 1. The resilient means in the form of the spring 106 is attached near the free end of the fulcrum device 119 so as to urge the roller 104 away from the longitudinal axis of the platen roller 105. In addition resilient means such as tension springs 124 are attached between the fulcrum devices 111 and 112 intermediate the ends thereof and so relieve the degree of tension needed in the spring 106, which is attached at its free end to a fixed member 125. As seen inFigure 1 the fulcrum devices 111 and 112 are each provided with two holes 126 which provide fixtures for the two springs 124. The tension in spring 106 pulls both rollers 102 and 103 against the platen roller 105 and holds the inner surface of the belt 107 tightly against an arcuate surface portion 108 comprising an area of substantially half the circumference of the platen roller times the width of the belt employed. For example if the diameter of the platen roller 105 is 32mm and the belt is 12.5mm wide the clamped area is 500 sq. mm.
As both rollers 102 and 103 and the belt 107 can move away from the platen roller 105, thereby extending spring 106, the feed device accepts and automatically accommodates itself to any thickness of material inserted. A sheet of paper for example inserted face up at the top of the platen roller exits face down and the leading edge of the exiting paper curves downwards dependent upon the stiffness of the paper.
When the trailing edge of the paper exits it drops straight down onto a stack which may be formed in front of and immediately below the point of exit. When the stack is removed and turned face up each sheet faces the observer in the same way as entered and in the same order of stacking.
The tension springs 124 are employed to exert equal and opposite pressure on the platen roller P and therefore take over some of the duty of the resilient means 106. This means that the resilient means 106, which exerts a sideways force on the bearings of the platen roller 105, can be chosen to maintain sufficient tension to keep the endless belt 107 clamped around the platen roller whilst the springs 124 keep the rollers 102 and 103 urged against the platen roller 105. In this way sideways thrusts on the bearings of the platen roller 105 is reduced.
In the embodiment shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 a paper feed device is shown in conjunction with a data entry system as described in my prior British Patent Specification No. 1,422,347 to which reference may be made for specific details of the data entry system which form no part of this invention. In the second embodiment a convenient form of paper feed comprises carrier means 50 for supporting 3 rollers 51, 52 and 53 with their longitudinal axes, about which they are freely rotatable, parallel to the longitudinal axis of a platen roller 16.
The longitudinal axis of the roller 51 in this embodiment is fixed in the carrier means 50 and the longitudinal axes of the other 2 rollers 52 and 53 are located in fulcrum arms 54 pivoted to the carrier means 50 for free-swinging movement. At least one endless elastic feed belt 55 is stretched around the 3 rollers 51, 52 and 53. Preferably there are two endless belts 55 as shown in Figure 4.
Means, such as circular bars 56, engage in cut-outs 57 in the carrier means 50 and act on the carrier means 50 to urge the outer surface of the feed belt 55, between the swinging rollers 52 and 53, into contact with the surface of the platen roller 16 so that the elasticity of the belt holds the carrying member in position.
The carrier means 50 may comprise a box frame constructed of a pair of side plates 58 held apart by a pair of stretcher plates 59. A groove or grooves 60 may be provided in the roller 51 to prevent lateral displacement of the belt 55.
In this embodiment a plate 10 is also illustrated on which, in the data entry system of my prior British Patent Specification No. 1,422,347, a document is offered to the upper line of contact between the endless belts 55 and the upper surface of the platen roller 16. Preferably the plate 10 would be provided with a rubber friction pad (not shown) which prevents two separate documents being accidentally fed through the feed device. If two separate documents are accidentally placed on the plate 10 then the lower sheet will remain behind as the friction between the rubber pad and the bottom sheet is greater than that between two separate sheets of paper.
At the upper line of contact the document is gripped by the or each endless belt 55, advanced with step by step or continuous rotation or the platen roller 16 and is carried around a substantial part of the surface area of the platen roller 16 for delivery at the lower line of contact between the endless belts 55 and the lower surface of platen roller 16.
Thus paper, fed in at the upper end, is gripped between the inner surface of one, or both, belts 55, and the outer surface of the platen roller 16. The belts 55, which may be for example 0.5" wide, a clamp a large area of the paper being passed by the feed device thereby avoiding skew or slip. The elasticity of the belts 55, and the free-swinging mounting of the rollers 52 and 53 permits the feed device to automatically adjust to a great variation of paper thicknesses.
Although the second embodiment of this invention has been described with reference to drawings showing the feed device as it would be arranged in a data entry system as disclosed in my prior British Patent Specification No. 1,422,347 it is understood that the feed device may be employed in any other suitable apparatus.
WHAT I CLAIM IS:1. A paper feed device comprising a platen roller, three rollers supported for rotation with their longitudinal axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the platen roller, and an endless belt disposed about the three rollers, two of the rollers being resiliently mounted and disposed in such a position relative to the platen roller that the endless belt engages an arcuate surface portion of the platen roller.
2. A paper feed device comprising a platen roller, carrier means supporting three rollers with their longitudinal axes, about which they are freely rotatable, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the platen roller, the longitudinal axes of two rollers being supported for movement in directions towards and away from the longitudinal axis of the platen roller, and at least one endless belt disposed about the three rollers so as to engage an arcuate surface portion of the platen roller.
3. A paper feed device according toClaim 2 wherein the two rollers supported for movement in directions towards and away from the longitudinal axis of the platen roller are rotatable on pairs of fulcrum bars pivotally mounted to the carrier means.
4. A paper feed device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the third roller is urged in a direction away from the longitudinal axis of the platen roller by resilient means.
5. A paper feed device according to claim 4 wherein the third roller is rotatable between spaced arms of a fulcrum device.
6. A paper feed device according toClaim 3 wherein the pairs of fulcrum bars supporting the first and second rollers are connected together by tension springs.
7. A paper feed device according toClaim 1 wherein the means resiliently mounting the said two rollers comprises a spring urging the third roller away from the longitudinal axis of the platen roller.
8. A paper feed device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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