US3618933A

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US3618933A
Application number: US875298A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edwin O Roggenstein; Earl Olsen
Original assignee: Burroughs Corp
Current assignee: Unisys Corp
Priority date: 1969-11-10
Filing date: 1969-11-10
Publication date: 1971-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-09

Abstract

A mechanism for feeding cards singly from a stack of cards where the feeding is initiated by intermittent forces applied to the stack, each force operating to press the stack against a driven feed roller and to push a foremost card of the stack into a dispensing slot, the application of each force rendering the feed roller effective to eject the foremost card.

Description

United States Patent Edwin 0. Roggenstein Birmingham;

Earl Olsen, Detroit, both of Mich. 875,298

Nov. 10, 1969 Nov. 9, 197 l Burroughs Corporation Detroit, Mich.

inventors Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee CARD FEED DEVICE 5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

U.S. C1 271/39 Int. Cl B6511 1/08 Field of Search 271/36, 37,

39, 8 A, 26 E, 30 A, 62 B, 22, 28; 221/230 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,406,627 10/1968 Becker 271/41 X 2,080,968 5/1937 Kreli 271/39 2,887,316 5/1959 Tobey 271/36 Primary Examiner-.loseph Wegbreit Assistant Examiner-Bruce H. Stoner, .Ir. Anorqeys- Kenneth L. Miller and Edwin W. Uren ABSTRACT: A mechanism for feeding cards singly from a stack of cards where the feeding is initiated by intermittent forces applied to the stack, each force operating to press the stack against a driven feed roller and to push a foremost card of the stack into a dispensing slot, the application of each force rendering the feed roller effective to eject the foremost card.

INVENTOILS ATTORNEY PATENTEDNUV 9 IHYI SHEET 1 (IF 2 CARD FEED DEVICE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is related to a class of mechanisms generally termed document or card feeders. A common function of the class is the sequential removal of single cards from a stack of cards. In order to perform this function, the invention utilizes a combination of a reciprocal member or hammer, a driven roller, and stack-supporting means in which a reciprocal force upon the stack by the hammer causes cards to be singly fed at the reciprocating rate of the hammer. A single force against the stack by the hammer presses the stack against the roller and toward a slot formed by an edge of a stack-retaining plate and the roller. Pressed against the roller by the applied force, the card of the stack abutting the roller, or foremost card, bends to the contour of the roller, thereby sliding over the edge of the stack retainer plate and into the slot to be carried away by the roller. The invention also provides a displaceable roller which is displaced by the force of the hammer to effectively widen the slot and facilitate the passage of a card.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device for feeding cards singly from a stack of cards;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along the line --3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the feeding of a card;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 of a modification;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 illustrating the feeding of a card;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing another modification; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 illustrating the. feeding of a card.

Referring to the drawings and first to FIGS. 1 to 4, the device includes a card stack holder which, as viewed in FIG. 1, comprises ahorizontal retainer plate 10, a vertical cardstack backing plate 12 and apressure plate 14. A stack ofcards 16 are supported on edge on the plate and are urged toward thebacking plate 12 by a biasing element, such as aweight 17 connected by acord 18 over apulley 19 to thepressure plate 14. Theplate 14 is positioned above theplate 10 to bear against an upper portion of thestack 16 so as to hold the stack in the position shown.

A drivencard feed roller 20 is mounted on the other side of thebacking plate 12 from theretainer plate 10, the roller extending horizontally across the width of the card stack. Theroller 20 is afiixed onto adrive shaft 22 which may be coupled to a suitable drive means (not shown) for rotating the roller at a uniform angular velocity in a clockwise direction, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. In thebacking plate 12 there is a clearance opening 24 through which the periphery of theroller 20 projects to engage the foremost card, as at 26, of the stack. Disposed toward the periphery of theroller 20 is anedge 28 of theplate 10 to define a card-dispensing passage orslot 30 with the roller periphery. Preferably, the upper surface of the,plate 10 is offset from the roller axis anteriorly thereof with respect to the direction of card feed, or is below the axis of theroller 20, as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In accordance with the invention, a force-transmitting member orhammer 32 is provided to strike the card stack to render theroller 20 effective to feed the foremost card from the stack. To this end, theroller 20 is preferably made of a displaceable resilient material (low durometer), such as rubber, so as to yield under the impact force of the reciprocal member orhammer 32. The width of theslot 30 is normally slightly less than and/or equal to the thickness of a card and the yielding of theroller 20 under the hammer impact force results in the widening of the slot. At the same time, the impact force moves the leading edge of the foremost card into the slot whereupon the roller is effective to eject the card through the slot.

As shown, thehammer 32 is disposed on the other side of the stack from the roller and is slidably mounted for reciprocation on the upper surface of theretainer plate 10. Thehammer 32 is,intermittently actuated by a power element, preferably a pneumatic power element. Such devices are well known and in general comprise, acylinder 34 to contain a piston for connection by arod 38 to thehammer 32. The use of a pneumatic power element is desirable for delivering a predetermined force to a diminishing stack of cards.

The end or stack-striking face 40 of thehammer 32 is sloped from the upper surface of theplate 10 upwardly away from theroller 20. Such asloped face 40 has the effect of bending lower margins of the stacked cards such that the foremost card is pressed against theroller 20 with its lower edge free of theplate 10 whereby to enable the roller to feed the card.

Below the slot 30 a pair of drivenfeed rollers 42 may be provided to receive and transport cards away from the card stack feeder.

Referring now to the modification of FIGS. 5 and 6, the card-feeding device is similar to the above described preferred device and therefore like parts have been designated by like reference characters to avoid unnecessary repetitious description. The modification differs from the preferred form in the provision of anonyieldable roller 44 and in the provision of a card-dispensing slot of a width greater than the thickness of a card and less than the sum of the thicknesses of two cards. Theroller 40 may be made of any suitable nonyieldable material, such as hard rubber, metal or a plastic material. In operation, the pressure applied to the stack by the hammer presses the foremost card against theroller 44 and deflects the foremost card into theslot 30 whereby the roller is effective to eject the card.

The modification of FIGS. 7 and 8 differs from the preferred card-feeding device solely in the location of theretainer plate 46. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the upper surface of the retainer plate is in a horizontal plane posterior to the axis of the roller with respect to the direction of card feed. In this case, the width of the slot is normally less than and/or equal to the thickness of a card. The roller yields to increase the width of the slot by and upon the application of pressure against the stack by the hammer which also bends the foremost card clear of the edge of the retainer plate.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for feeding cards singly and edgewise from a stack of cards comprising a card stack backing member adapted to engage the broadside of a foremost card of a stack, a card stack retainer plate transversely and laterally disposed to said backing member and anteriorly displaced from said backing member with respect to the direction of card feed, said card stack retainer plate having a broadside thereof adapted to abut the leading edges of the cards with respect to said direction of card feed and having an edge disposed toward and in spaced apart relation to said backing member, a card feed roller having its periphery extending along said edge in spaced apart relationship therewith to define a card ejection slot with said edge, the periphery of said roller being continuously effective to frictionally impel the foremost card from the stack upon the application of a predetennined amount of pres sure against said roller by the stack and the displacement of the leading edge of the foremost card clear of said retainer plate, a force-transmitting member adaptable to apply pressure to the rear of the stack toward said card feed roller, and means to reciprocate said force-transmitting member cyclically against the rear of the stack to apply the predetermined amount of pressure thereto, and to displace the leading edge of the foremost card into the card ejection slot, whereby the cyclic rate of said force-transmitting member establishes a corresponding rate of card feed.

2. A device as defined by claim 1 wherein the width of said slot is less than the thickness of a card and said roller is displaceable by said force-transmitting member to widen said slot to receive a card.

3. A device as defined by claim 2 wherein said roller is composed of a resilient material that elastically deforms upon the application of pressure thereto by the foremost card to effectively widen said card ejection slot.

4. A device as defined by claim 1 wherein said means to reciprocate the force-transmitting member is characterized by a pneumatically operated piston coupled by a connecting member to said force transmitting member.

5. A device as defined by claim 1 wherein the broadside of said retainer plate is in a plane intersecting said roller and offset from the axis of rotation of said roller anteriorly thereof with respect to the direction of card feed, said plane being closer to said axis than to a plane tangent to the periphery of said roller and parallel with said axis so that the foremost card nonnally abuts said backing member, the leading edge of the foremost card being retained on said card stack retainer in close proximity to the card ejection slot so that pressure applied to the rear of the stack by said force-transmitting member is effective to bend the foremost card toward the contour of the periphery of the roller and thus displacing the leading edge into the slot there to be frictionally impelled free of the stack by said card feed roller.

9 I? I II II

Claims

1. A device for feeding cards singly and edgewise from a stack of cards comprising a card stack backing member adapted to engage the broadside of a foremost card of a stack, a card stack retainer plate transversely and laterally disposed to said backing member and anteriorly displaced from said backing member with respect to the direction of card feed, said card stack retainer plate having a broadside thereof adapted to abut the leading edges of the cards with respect to said direction of card feed and having an edge disposed toward and in spaced apart relation to said backing member, a card feed roller havIng its periphery extending along said edge in spaced apart relationship therewith to define a card ejection slot with said edge, the periphery of said roller being continuously effective to frictionally impel the foremost card from the stack upon the application of a predetermined amount of pressure against said roller by the stack and the displacement of the leading edge of the foremost card clear of said retainer plate, a forcetransmitting member adaptable to apply pressure to the rear of the stack toward said card feed roller, and means to reciprocate said force-transmitting member cyclically against the rear of the stack to apply the predetermined amount of pressure thereto, and to displace the leading edge of the foremost card into the card ejection slot, whereby the cyclic rate of said force-transmitting member establishes a corresponding rate of card feed.

5. A device as defined by claim 1 wherein the broadside of said retainer plate is in a plane intersecting said roller and offset from the axis of rotation of said roller anteriorly thereof with respect to the direction of card feed, said plane being closer to said axis than to a plane tangent to the periphery of said roller and parallel with said axis so that the foremost card normally abuts said backing member, the leading edge of the foremost card being retained on said card stack retainer in close proximity to the card ejection slot so that pressure applied to the rear of the stack by said force-transmitting member is effective to bend the foremost card toward the contour of the periphery of the roller and thus displacing the leading edge into the slot there to be frictionally impelled free of the stack by said card feed roller.