Sheet feeding or delivering – Feeding – Separators
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-22
2002-06-04
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Feeding
Separators
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398209
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet supply apparatus of a so-called frictional separating method type. The sheet supply apparatus of such type can separate a sheet from sheets stacked therein by utilizing friction between a sheet supply roller and a separating plate.
2. Description of the Related Art
A sheet supply apparatus is such a machine that separates and feeds out stacked sheets one by one. Such sheet supply apparatus is usually installed in a printing machine, for example.
FIGS. 8
to
10
illustrate one example of such conventional sheet supply apparatus.
The sheet supply apparatus includes a sheet supply roller
1
and a separating base
2
. The sheet supply roller
1
, a separating member, is situated to a predetermined position and driven to rotate. The separating base
2
, a separating member, is situated below the sheet supply roller
1
.
The sheet supply roller
1
includes a core
3
and a roller member
4
integrally connected to an outer circumferential surface of the core
3
. The core
3
is connected to a sheet supply shaft
5
. The sheet supply shaft
5
is connected to a not-shown drive shaft.
The separating base
2
includes a high-friction member
6
and a curved stainless plate member
7
situated to a sheet-entrance side of the base. The sheet supply roller
1
contacts the high-friction member
6
of the separating base
2
. Sheets fed thereto are separated from each other so that only one of the sheets can be conveyed forward.
A supporting plate
8
is fixed to a predetermined position. A lever
10
is pivotally movably attached to the supporting plate
8
by a support screw
9
. The separating base
2
is attached to the lever
10
by a pin
11
so as to rotate around the pin. The separating base
2
can be detached from the pin
11
. The supporting plate
8
has an attachment plate
12
integrally formed therewith. Through holes
8
a
and
12
a
are formed in a bottom of the supporting plate
8
and the attachment plate
12
, respectively. A pressing pole
13
as a pressing member is inserted through the through holes
8
a
and
12
a.
The pressing pole
13
can move vertically along an axial direction of itself. A flange
14
is attached to the pressing pole
13
between the bottom of the supporting plate
8
and the attachment plate
12
. An adjusting plate
15
as adjusting means is slidably situated on an upper surface of the bottom of the supporting plate
8
. The adjusting plate
15
is longitudinal in a sliding direction of itself and narrow in a width direction. A slit
16
is formed in the adjusting plate
15
along the longitudinal direction thereof. The pressing pole
13
is inserted through the slit. An operating surface
17
is formed on both sides of the slit
16
on an upper surface of the adjusting plate
15
. A height of the operating surface
17
, i.e. a thickness of the adjusting plate
15
, changes gradually along the longitudinal direction of the adjusting plate
15
. One end portion of the adjusting plate
15
is designated as an operating end
18
and situated inside a casing of the present sheet supply apparatus. And, a spring
19
as urging means is disposed around the pressing pole
13
between the flange
14
and the adjusting plate
15
.
In the constitution explained above, sheets are rubbed between the sheet supply roller
1
and the separating base
2
, and conveyed forward by the sheet supply roller
1
. When a plurality of the sheets reaches the separating base
2
while stacking with each other, the sheets are separated by the sheet supply roller
1
and the separating base
2
so that only one sheet can be conveyed forward. Here, the order F
A
. F
C
. F
B
is preferable where F
A
is a frictional force exerted between the sheet supply roller
1
and the printing sheet, F
B
is a frictional force exerted among the printing sheets, and F
C
is a frictional force exerted between the printing sheet and the separating base
2
.
If difference among the frictional forces is not sufficient, the printing sheet may not be conveyed, or a plurality of the printing sheets is conveyed while not being separated from each other. The former phenomenon is called “conveyance failure”, and the latter “multiple conveyance”.
The adjusting means explained above is used to properly arrange the difference among the frictional forces. The surface of the printing sheet is rough because it is composed of intertwined fibers. When the sheet supply roller
1
of a soft material is pressed against the printing sheet so that a nip width in which the printing sheet is held is enlarged, the frictional force between the sheet supply roller
1
and the printing sheet is enlarged and stabilized. If the nip width is small, the frictional force tends to decrease due to surface abrasion of the sheet supply roller
1
and paper powder generated from the printing sheets. Since many types of the printing sheets are in use, the frictional force among the sheets is varied accordingly. Therefore, stable conveyance of the printing sheet of many types inevitably requires the above-explained adjusting means for adjusting separating pressure. The separating pressure is to be adjusted by users so as to conform to a type of the sheet to be used.
In the constitution explained above, the pressing pole
13
is elastically urged upward by the spring
19
relative to the supporting plate
8
. A top end of the pressing pole
13
presses up the lever
10
. The separating base
2
attached to the lever
10
is urged upward to contact the sheet supply roller
1
.
The separating pressure exerted on the sheet supply roller
1
by the separating base
2
can be adjusted by operating the adjusting plate
15
. A user is to detach a part of a casing of the present apparatus to expose the operating end
18
. The user is to take the operating end
18
and pull the adjusting plate
15
to slide along the longitudinal direction thereof. When the adjusting plate
15
thus slides, the height of the operating surface
17
of the adjusting plate
15
is changed at a position where the spring
19
is disposed.
FIGS. 8 and 10
show that the spring
19
is supported by a relatively low operating surface
17
, which means the separating pressure is small.
FIG. 9
shows that the spring
19
is supported by a relatively high operating surface
17
, which means the separating pressure is large.
After the adjustment is finished, the part is attached to the casing, and then the sheet supply apparatus is actually operated to feed the printing sheets, so that effect of adjusting the separating pressure is confirmed. If no effect is confirmed, the part of the casing is again detached and the adjustment is conducted once more.
In the conventional sheet supply apparatus as stated above, elastic force of the spring
19
is changed by sliding the adjusting plate
15
. Accordingly, the adjusting plate
15
is required to be made in a longitudinal form along the sliding direction. Additionally, any other parts or members can not be allowed to be placed in a space where the adjusting plate
15
slides so as to prevent interference therewith. Thus, in the conventional sheet supply apparatus, an inside space thereof is not utilized effectively.
In the conventional sheet supply apparatus, the slidable adjusting plate
15
is downsized to its limit so as to utilize any of the inside space. Accordingly, the operating end
18
of the adjusting plate
15
must be placed inside the apparatus. This means that the operating end
18
cannot project out the apparatus. Therefore, when adjustment of the separating pressure is needed, the casing must be opened by detaching the part therefrom.
In the conventional sheet supply apparatus, since the longitudinal adjusting plate
15
slides along the longitudinal direction thereof, a groove
8
b
must be formed in the supporting plate
8
for guiding the adjusting plate
15
to slide therein. This groove
8
b
deteriorates strength of the supporting plate
8
.
This invention is made to solve the problems as explain
Bower Kenneth W.
Ellis Christopher P.
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Riso Kagaku Corporation
LandOfFree
Sheet supply apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Sheet supply apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sheet supply apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2941988