Sheet feeding or delivering – Feeding – Pack holders
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-20
2001-10-16
Skaggs, H. Grant (Department: 3651)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Feeding
Pack holders
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302390
ABSTRACT:
Disclosed in the embodiments herein is an improved, yet relatively simple and low cost, sheet stacking tray system with an improved system of resetable stack edge guides for accommodating and providing improved feeding of a large range of copy sheet sizes from stacks thereof in said sheet stacking tray.
By way of background in this crowded art, there are numerous different known types of stacking tray and sheet feeder systems and hardware for feeding copy sheets to xerographic printers or other reproduction systems. Such systems often have adjustable position stack edge guides and stack end guides to accommodate the stacking therein, and feeding therefrom, of a more limited range of different sizes of copy sheets. The following patent disclosures are noted merely by way of a few examples: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,360,207; and also 5,188,351; 5,923,942; and 5,328,166. Likewise, the use of various sheet stack elevators is well known in such systems, and is not part of this specific invention, and thus need not be described herein. Such stack elevators are will known for vertically moving up a stacking tray to maintain the top of a large stack of copy sheets on said stacking tray in engagement with a sheet feeder as paper is sequentially fed from the top of the stack, as is well known in this art. They are typical of high capacity (“high-cap” stacking trays in which several reams of paper can be loaded at one time, as disclosed for example in Xerox Corp. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,436,406; 4,718,658; 5,152,520; and 5,328,167.
The disclosed sheet stacking tray embodiment is particularly suited for improved stacking, locating, guiding and feeding of a uniquely wide range of different sizes of copy sheets by providing several advantages as will be described herein. In particular, as disclosed in the specific embodiment herein, the stack rear edge (trail edge) guide is repositionable along a predetermined angled path at a small preset angle to the sheet feeding direction, so that as the stack rear edge guide is repositioned forwardly for shorter size sheets stacked therein, that rear edge guide also automatically also moves laterally to move closer to the stack edge registration wall or guide(s). The initial lateral positions, and said variable positions along said angled path, of said rear edge guide are selected so that for many standard sheet sizes said rear edge guide will more centrally engage the rear edge of the stack for large sheets as well as much smaller size sheets stacked in the same sheet stacking tray. Furthermore, and cooperatively, said angular movement positions of said rear edge guide are designed to avoid interference or overlapping with the guide tracks or movement ranges of the transversely movable (repositionable) side guides engaging the opposite side of the stack from the stack edge registration wall.
A specific feature of the specific embodiment disclosed herein is to provide in a sheet stacking tray system for stacking different sizes of copy sheets to be fed upstream to a reproduction apparatus for the printing of said copy sheets, said stacking tray system having a stack supporting tray and plural upstanding stack edge guides for engaging at least two sides of a stack of copy sheets on said stack supporting tray, and wherein said plural stack edge guides are repositionable relative to said stack supporting tray for engaging at least two orthogonal edges of different sizes of a stack of copy sheets stacked on said stack supporting tray, and wherein a registration edge position is provided for registration of one side of said stack of copy sheets stacked on said stack supporting tray aligned with said upstream direction; the improvement comprising: an upstanding stack rear edge guide track mounted for an elongated range of angular repositioning movement in both said upstream direction and in the direction of said registration edge position to engage a wide range of said different sizes of copy sheets stacked on said stack supporting tray; said angular repositioning movement of said stack rear edge guide engaging larger sheets stacked on said stack supporting tray further from said registration edge position and engaging smaller sheets stacked on said stack supporting tray closer to said registration edge position; and at least one upstanding stack side edge guide repositionable transversely to said registration edge position independently of any position of said stack rear edge guide, said stack side edge guide having a defined elongated repositioning movement range which does not overlap with said elongated range of angular repositioning movement of said stack rear edge guide.
Further specific features disclosed in the embodiment herein, individually or in combination, include those wherein the stack rear edge guide track mounted elongated range of angular repositioning movement is substantially linear and at approximately 18 degrees to said registration edge position; and/or wherein said stack supporting tray has at least first and second separated elongated apertures, and wherein said stack rear edge guide extends upwardly through said first aperture, and wherein said at least one stack side edge guide extends upwardly through said second aperture, and wherein said stack rear edge guide and said at least one stack side edge guide are repositionable independently of said stack supporting tray within said respective first and second apertures; and/or wherein there are two separate, spaced apart, and independently repositionable, said stack side edge guides, an upstream stack side edge guide and a downstream stack edge guide, and said downstream stack edge guide is repositionable substantially closer to said registration edge position than said upstream stack side edge guide.
The term “reproduction apparatus” or “printer” as used herein broadly encompasses various printers, copiers or multifunction machines or systems, xerographic or otherwise. The term “sheet” herein refers to a usually flimsy physical sheet of paper, plastic, or other suitable physical substrate for printing images thereon. A “copy sheet” may be abbreviated as a “copy” or called a “hardcopy”.
As to specific components of the subject apparatus or methods, or alternatives therefor, it will be appreciated that, as is normally the case, some such components are known per se in other apparatus or applications which may be additionally or alternatively used herein, including those from art cited herein. All references cited in this specification, and their references, are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for teachings of additional or alternative details, features, and/or technical background. What is well known to those skilled in the art need not be described herein.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5029841 (1991-07-01), Ettischer et al.
patent: 5360207 (1994-11-01), Rauen et al.
patent: 5573236 (1996-11-01), Petocchi et al.
patent: 1419508 (1975-12-01), None
patent: 0051424 (1986-03-01), None
patent: 404358631A (1992-12-01), None
patent: 405278869A (1993-10-01), None
Clark Lawrence A.
Haag William R.
Linder Michael J.
Moore Kenneth P.
Yow D Gregory
Skaggs H. Grant
Xerox Corporation
LandOfFree
Sheet stacking tray with stacking guides system for a wide... 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 stacking tray with stacking guides system for a wide..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sheet stacking tray with stacking guides system for a wide... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2551534