Sheet feeding or delivering – Feeding – Multiple supplies
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-06
2001-12-18
Skaggs, H. Grant (Department: 3651)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Feeding
Multiple supplies
C271S117000, C271S124000, C271S010100, C271S010110, C271S145000, C271S162000, C271S167000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06331001
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet feeding machine for use in a printer. The sheet feeding machine of the present invention is the detachable one that is optionally attached to a sheet feeding device of the printer. The sheet feeding machine of the present invention is useful for feeding special sheets except normal printing sheets.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional printer usually includes a sheet feeding machine for feeding printing sheets. For example, the sheet feeding machine has a vertically movable sheet feeding table for supporting many printing sheets thereon and sheet feeding means situated above the sheet feeding table. The sheet feeding means successively feeds the printing sheets to the printer from a topmost one as the feeding table moves upward.
In the sheet feeding machine of the conventional printer, use, thickness, quality and size of the printing sheet to be fed are limited. Generally, the only frequently-used types specified in industrial standards can be fed by the sheet feeding machine. The other types are not applicable to the machine. For example, a special card such as one comprising plural layers laminated with each other or one with its surface coated and an envelope are difficult to be stably conveyed into a printing section of the printer.
For example, the sheet feeding machine has a pick-up roller and a separating member contacted with each other to scrape the printing sheets one by one. Even if the printing sheets over two are fetched at one time, the pick-up roller and the separating member separate them from each other, so that the only one sheet is fed out. When the special cards mentioned before are fed by the sheet feeding machine, they sometimes suffer damage to a surface thereof by rubber of the separating member while passing between the pick-up roller and the separating member, or a front edge of the card may be soiled by the separating member. Further, the envelope has two different constitutions, one is that of a center portion where two sheets are superimposed on each other with air sandwiched therebetween, and the other is that of an end portion where a sheet is just bent. Thus, when the envelopes are superimposed and the pick-up roller feeds a topmost one while contacting therewith, a center portion of the envelopes are recessed while being pushed by the pick-up roller, so that a leading end portion thereof is levitated. The levitated leading end portion of the topmost envelope stops at the pick-up roller, and the envelope cannot be conveyed.
In this way, the sheet feeding machine equipped with the conventional printer cannot feed the special printing sheets stably due to occurrence of troubles such as pick-up failure, jam, damage to the sheets, levitation of the sheets, separating noise and misregistration.
The object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding machine capable of being detachably attached to the conventional sheet feeding machine for use in printing the special printing sheets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A sheet feeding machine as defined in the first aspect of the present invention
1
includes a sheet feeding table which is vertically movable and capable of supporting a plurality of first recording sheets thereon, first sheet feeding device movably situated above the sheet feeding table, the first sheet feeding device feeding the first recording sheets successively from a topmost sheet as the sheet feeding table with the first recording sheets moves upward, a base body detachably attached to the sheet feeding table, the base body supporting a plurality of second recording sheets thereon, and second sheet feeding device situated on the base body and feeding the second recording sheets successively from a bottommost sheet so that when the base body is attached to the sheet feeding table, the second recording sheet is fed by the second sheet feeding means and is transferred further by the first feeding device as conveying means.
According to a sheet feeding machine as defined in the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, said first sheet feeding device includes fetching device for fetching the first recording sheets and separating device situated adjacent to the fetching device for separating the topmost sheet from the first recording sheets fetched by the fetching device to feed the topmost sheet so that the fetching device moves upward to halt fetching and the separating device halts separating in the case where the first sheet feeding device is used as the conveying means.
According to a sheet feeding machine as defined in the third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the first sheet feeding device includes a first roller for fetching the first recording sheets including the topmost sheet while contacting therewith, a second roller for separating the topmost sheet from the first recording sheets fetched by the first roller to feed the topmost sheet, and a separating member contacting the second roller, a contact condition of the separating member with the second roller being adjustable so that in the case where the first sheet feeding means is used as the conveying device, the first roller moves upward not to contact the second recording sheets on the base body and the separating member halts separating.
According to a sheet feeding machine as defined in the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the separating member is a first separating plate, an angle of the first separating plate relative to the second roller being adjustable, in the case where the first sheet feeding device is used as the conveying device, the first separating plate together with the second roller functions as the conveying device with the angle adjusted relatively small against a feeding direction of the second recording sheet in comparison with the case where the first sheet feeding device feeds the first recording sheets.
According to a sheet feeding machine as defined in the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the second sheet feeding device includes a separating roller partially protruding from a conveying surface on the base body for conveying the second recording sheet and a second separating plate vertically movably situated above the separating roller.
According to a sheet feeding machine as defined in the sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the second separating plate has a separating surface made of a frictional material and curved outwardly toward the separating roller.
According to a sheet feeding machine as defined in the seventh aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, a distance between the second separating plate and the separating roller is fairly larger than the thickness of the second recording sheet.
A sheet feeding machine as defined in the eighth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, further includes a supporting device situated on the base body for supporting the second recording sheets thereon so that the second recording sheets are spaced away from the conveying surface.
A sheet feeding machine as defined in the ninth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, further includes conveying mechanism for conveying the second recording sheet fed from the separating roller while being driven by in association with the separating roller, and pressing means situated vertically movably above the conveying mechanism for pressing the second recording sheet against the conveying mechanism with its self-weight.
A sheet feeding machine as defined in the tenth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, further includes a sensor situated adjacent to the sheet feeding table, the sensor outputting a stop signal for the sheet feeding table to stop while being operated by the first sheet feeding device moved by the first recording sheets stacked on the sheet feeding table when the sheet feeding table moves upwards so that the base body attached to the sheet feeding table is vertically position
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Riso Kagaku Corporation
Skaggs H. Grant
LandOfFree
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