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(11) | EP 0 082 979 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Document handling apparatus |
| (57) he invention relates to a feed and delivery system for documents such as envelopes,
in a high speed batch printer. It comprises a hopper (10) with input (30) and output
(32) sections to hold the envelopes to be printed and the printed envelopes respectively,
separated by a spring loaded bail (34). A picking wheel (90) having a picking lip
engages the bottom edge of the rearmost envelope (104) in the input section (30) thus
causing the envelope to buckle against restraint (46). Further rotation of said wheel
(90) causes the envelope to enter into the nip formed by a pulley (88) and a back
up roller (92). A first endless belt (86) transports the envelope to the printer platen
(16) where it is printed and a second belt (56) transports the printed envelope from
the platen to the output section (32) of the hopper (10). A leaf spring (58) urges
the leading edge of the envelope to be deflected towards the ouput section (32) of
the hopper (10). |
[0001] This invention relates to document handling apparatus. Specifically, it relates to an apparatus to accomplish in a high speed printing environment the feed from and delivery back to a divided hopper of envelopes on edge.
[0002] U.S. patent 4,222,557 discloses for a printer, a platen driven document handling attachment with rear feed from exit portions for on edge documents in one hopper.
[0003] U.S. patent 3,372,923 presents a picker roller for documents in a stack on edge. The picker roller has formed in its periphery a knife edge which when placed adjacent the stack projects above the flat by an amount less than the thickness of the thinest document to be transported. The picker edge engages the endmost card when it is rotated counterclockwise to buckle the bottommost card which upon continued rotation of the picker roller springs back into a nip formed by the picker roller and a feed roller. The picker roller is smooth. The feed roller has a high coefficient of friction with regard to the document to be fed. At this point, the direction of the picker roller is reversed and because of the relation of the coefficient of friction, the document is fed by substantially sliding over the surface of the picker roller.
[0004] IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 11, No. 10, March 1969, page 1301 to Lyon teaches having a belt at the base of a hopper for urging documents on edge to a picking area.
[0005] The present invention provides a simple attachment for a printer whereby envelopes placed on edge may be fed from and delivered to a single, divided hopper. Endless belts which pass in part through the floor of the hopper assist in urging the printed envelopes away from the output throat area and into the output area of the hopper. The spring biased hopper separator urges fresh envelopes toward the picking station adjacent the hopper.
[0006] In the attached drawings :
Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an envelope hopper in accordance with the present invention mounted on the sheet feed device attached to a printer.
Fig. 2 shows a more detailed_rear view of the hopper and the connection between hopper and printer.
Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of hopper 10 and includes the complete envelope transport path.
Figs. 4 through 6 illustrate, step by step, envelope picking, buckling, and entry into the transport path.
Fig. 7 and 8 illustrate the output throat area of the transport path.
Fig. 9 illustrates an alternative arrangement of the envelope transport path.
[0007] Referring now to Fig. 1, the combination hopper 10 of the present invention is illustrated connected to a sheet handling attachment 12 for a high speed printer 14 which may be part of a word processing or other office automation system. In present systems of this type the need often arises for the preparation of letters and their associated envelopes, The illustrated device contemplates the batch preparation of letters followed by batch printing of the envelopes. That is, after the desired documents have been printed, the combination envelope hopper 10 of the instant invention is attached so as to be operatively connected to and driven by the platen 16 of printer 14.
[0008] The connection of hopper 10 to sheet feed device 12 is achieved on one side by spring biased plunger 22 which mates with a hole (not visible) .in sheet feed device side wall 20. The opposite end of shaft 18 which extends the width of hopper 10 terminates in an entry to a gear train drivingly connected with platen 16. This connection will be discussed in greater detail with reference to Fig. 2.
[0009] As illustrated, hopper 10 includes an input area 30 and output area 32 divided by a bail 34. Bail 34 is biased toward the back of hopper 10 by spring 36 for dynamically adjusting the relative sections on either side thereof. The output area 32 includes transport guides 38. Hopper side walls 40 and 42 connected by back wall 44 complete the external structure of hopper 10. Mounted substantially at the center of the top edge of back wall 44 is envelope top restraint 46.
[0010] Hopper floor 50 includes spaced apart apertures 52 which allow two endless belts 56 to comprise part of floor 50. Attached to the inner surfaces of transport guides 38 in close proximity to endless belts 56 are two leaf springs 58 which assist in envelope delivery back into hopper 10.
[0012] Refer now to Fig. 2 which is a rear cutaway perspective view of hopper 10 and its driving mechanism.
[0013] Shaft 18 is shown with its associated spring loaded plunger 22 for resiliently lodging hopper 10 in one side of sheet handling apparatus 12 of Fig. 1. The opposite end of shaft 18 terminates in a coupling member 24 adapted to engage cone drive roller 60 for rotation therewith.
[0014] Cone roller 60 is driven by platen 16 through a gear train 61 comprising gears 62, 64, and 66. Motive power from platen 16, which is driven by appropriate printer controls which form no part of the present invention, is transmitted through gear train 61 to coupling 24 and shaft 18. Cone roller 60 drives shaft 18 clockwise in the direction of arrow 71. Gear 70 is mounted on and for rotation with shaft 18. Gear 70 drivingly engages gear 72 mounted on shaft 73. Gear 72 is thus driven counterclockwise. Gear 72 is in driving engagement with gear 74 mounted on shaft 75 which is thus driven to rotate in the same direction as shaft 18. Shaft 75 has two pulleys 76 mounted thereon. Endless belts 56 are trained over pulleys 76. Belts 56 continue around pulleys 80 and 82 in apertures 52 in floor 50 of hopper 10. Because the endless belt passing through the apertures 52 in floor 50 of hopper 10 are identically arranged and driven, the same reference numerals have been given to corresponding parts to simplify the description by requiring a discussion of only one of such identical sets.
[0015] Also fixedly attached to shaft 75 is a pulley 84 about which one loop of endless belt 86 is trained. The other loop of endless belt 86 is on pulley 88 mounted on shaft 89. Shaft 89 rests in groove 100 formed in the base 50 of hopper 10. Shaft 89 is held down by the tension in belt 86. Coaxial with pulley 88 on shaft 89 is picker wheel 90. Its backup roller 92 is located adjacent to and on an axis parallel to that of pulley 88.
[0016] The driving connection from driven gear 70 to gear 77 on shaft 89 will now be described. Gear 77 is the driving means for shaft 89 and thus picker 90. Gear 72 rotating counterclockwise drives gear 78 in a clockwise direction. Gear 78 drives gear 79 and 95.in a clockwise direction. Gear 95 drives gear 96 in a counterclockwise direction and gear 96 engages gear 97 to drive it in a clockwise direction. Gear 97 engages gear 77 to drive it in clockwise direction, the original direction of driven gear 70 on shaft 18. The illustrated and described gear train is an exemplary embodiment only. Obviously, those skilled in the art will understand that other gear reduction mechanisms may be designed to drive picker 90 off the platen 16 of the associated printer without departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0017] Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-section of hopper 10. The same structural components as shown in previous figures are identified by the same reference numerals. Fig. 3 is a simplified view of the complete envelope transport path followed by an envelope 104 from the input section 30 of hopper 10 to the hopper output section 32:
[0018] Upper envelope restraint 46 aids in keeping envelopes in proper alignment for being picked and fed. Once picked, an envelope 104 moves in the direction of arrow 120 through the throat created by feed roller 88 coaxial with picker roller 90 and the associated backup roller 92. Envelope 104 enters on a path formed by continuously rotating belt 86 and rear guide 122. Rear guide 122 is part of sheet handling apparatus 12 and not visible in Fig. 2. The envelope continues in the direction of arrow 124 between platen 16 and bottom guide member 126. The print station is not shown.
[0019] The envelope 104 is then guided in the direction of arrow 130 between continuous belt 56 and front transport guide 38 until it reaches output throat area 134 which includes leaf spring 58 for urging the envelope 104, in print order, into section 32 of hopper 10.
[0020] The bottom edge of the envelope comes in contact with endless belt 56 which passes through floor 50 (Fig. 1) and leaf spring 58 urges the envelope 104 in the direction of arrow 140 to make room for the next envelope to be fed.
[0021] Figs. 4, 5, and 6 will be discussed together as they illustrate in greater detail the picking action of picker roller 90. A picking lip 91 is provided on picker 90 for engaging the edge of the rearmost envelope 104 in input area 30 of hopper 10. As picker 90 rotates clockwise envelope 104 is engaged by lip 91 and is buckled as shown in Fig. 5. Further clockwise rotation of picker roller 90 causes the envelope 104 to snap over the picker roller 90 and into the nip formed by pulley 88 and backup roller 92.
[0022] It will be recalled from Figs. 2 that picker roller 90* and pulley 88 are coaxially mounted in spaced apart relation on shaft 89. When envelope 104 snaps over picker 90, the envelope flexes to some extent in entering the feed nip since picker 90 is larger in diameter than pulley 88.
[0023] Figs. 7 and 8 are an enlarged views of the output throat area 134 of-Fig. 3. Low force leaf spring 58 is attached to transport guide 38. In its rest position leaf spring 58 conforms generally to the periphery of pulley 80 about which endless belt 56 is trained. When an envelope 104 travelling between front guide 38 and endless belt 56 enters throat area 134 it is gently urged by leaf spring 58 around pulley 80. The strength of leaf spring 58 is such that, as envelope 104 continues its upward movement, leaf spring 58 moves into the position shown in Fig. 8 at which point the bottom edge of envelope 104 comes under the influence of moving endless belt 56 and is urged into the output area 32 of hopper 10, thereby clearing output throat area 134.
[0024] The operation of the present invention is controlled by the printer to which it is attached. The present envelope handling device is intended for batch printing. The gear ratio of the driving connection between platen 16 and picker roller 90 (Fig. 2) is such that the envelope picked during each revolution of picker 90 enters the transport path in timed relation to that preceding. In other words, the space between Succeeding envelopes is optimized in relation to the print speed.
[0025] A printer for which the present invention is a suitable attachment is provided with a sensor adjacent the platen to monitor the position of an envelope and indicate when the first writing line is reached.
[0026] Fig. 9 is an alternative embodiment of the transport path of the present invention. Those structural elements which are the same as the first described embodiment are given the same reference numerals. This modification, however, involves two rather than three endless belts (56 and 86, Fig. 2). An aperture in the floor 250 of the hopper is analogous to apertures 52 in Fig. 2. One belt 286 is trained over pulleys 290, 292 and 84. Pulley 84 is driven as previously described.
supporting means for supporting on edge a stack of documents to be processed and a stack of processed documents,
first handling means for.picking and transporting sequentially the documents to be processed from said supporting means to said processing device,
second handling means for transporting sequentially the processed documents from said processing device to said supporting means and restacking them thereon,
characterized in that
said supporting means comprise a single hopper (10) having a rear input section (30) for supporting the stack of documents to be processed and a front output section (32) for supporting the stack of processed documents,
a movable bail (34) is provided for separating both stacks of documents, :
said first handling means comprise picking means (90) for picking the rearmost document on said rear section (30) and first transporting means (88, 92, 86, 122), and
said second handling means comprise second transporting means (56, 38) and means (58) for urging a document exiting said processing device and transported by said second transporting means into the front part of said front section (32) of said hopper.
it comprises an upward restraint member (46) adjacent the top portion of said documents in said rear section,
said document processing dence (16) is located below said hopper, and
said picking means comprise at least one picker wheel (90) engaging the bottom portion of the rearmost document in said rear section (30) and driving means for rotating said wheel in a direction tending to move upwards said bottom portion and thus to buckle said document against said restraint member, and subsequently to allow said document to snap thereover and the bottom portion thereof to engage said first transporting means.
a first endless belt (86),
a first pulley (88) mounted in spaced apart relation on the same shaft (89) as said picker wheel (90), and supporting said first endless belt, and
at least a back up roller (92) adjacent said picker wheel for forming a nip between said roller and said first belt for driving said bottom portion of said* document after being picked by said picker wheel (90).
a second pulley (84) supporting said first endless belt and located in the vicinity of said processing device (16) , and
a first guiding plate (122) for guiding and maintaining a document exiting said nip in driving relationship with said belt between said first and second pulleys to allow said document to be driven by said first belt between said pulleys.
a third pulley (84) located in the vicinity of said processing device (16),
a fourth pulley (80) located in the vicinity of the front part of said front section (32) of said hopper,
a second endless belt (56) extending between said third and fourth pulleys, and
a second guiding plate (38) for guiding and maintaining a document exiting said processing device (16) in driving relationship with said second endless belt between said third and fourth pulleys.