IL28520A - Sheet transport mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Sheet transport meohaniam RAM XEROX LIMITED C - 27069 This invention relates to paper handling apparatus and, in particular to apparatus adapted to transport sheet material fed thereto.

More specifically, this invention relates to a paper transport adapted to facilitate the replacement of components and the removal of paper jams occurring during the movement of sheet material through the transport.

In prior art transport mechanisms, especially those of the type wherein idler rollers are held in pressure contact with drive rollers, in the event that it was necessary to replace an idler roller the transport had to be dismantled and the roller mechanism to be replaced, 'removed from the transport necessitating a substantial amount of downtime for the mechanism in which the transport is utilized. In addition, if a paper jam or a machine malfunction occurred resulting in a sheet of paper being stopped in the transport system, removal of such sheet material was extremely difficult due to limited access to the sheet material through the transport mechanism and the destruction of the sheet material for its intended use by the creasing and tearing of the sheet material incurred in removal from the pressure contact of the i^ldler and. drive rollers .

According to the present invention a sheet transport mechanism adapted to* facilitate the removal of sheet material jams occurring therein including a plurality of rotatable drive rollers positioned, in spaced relation to each other by a support member, a plurality of rotatable idler rollers carried in spaced relation to each other by a frame member and positionable in operative relationship with said drive rollers such that a path of sheet material travel is formed between said idler rollers and said drive rollers, and means connecting said frame member to said support member to move said idler rollers in and .out from operative relationship with said drive rollers.

The following is a description of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying . drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a sheet distributing machine utilizing the invention of this application; Figure 2 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the invention to illustrate the features thereof; Figure 3 is. a front elevation section of the transport mechanism being utilized in a sheet distributing machine; and Figure 4 is a front perspective view of a portion of the transport system. to illustrate the features thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown an embodiment of the transport mechanism 170 being utilized in a modular sheet distributor of the type disclosed in copending . 1 application Serial 2 and reference is made thereto 8 for the disclosure contained therein. Although the transport 4 mechanism of this application has general utility, for convenience of illustration it will be described with reference 6 to its use in a modular sheet distributor. However, the invention of this application is not intended to be limited 8 thereto. 9 As shown in the drawings, there is an embodiment of • ^ ii the subject invention being uti.lized in a modular sheet disr* tributor 100 which includes a plurality of catch trays 110 secured in spaced relation to each other between front and 13 rear frame plates 102 and 103, respectively. Sheet material 14 is distributed to the catch trays by means of a plurality of 16 drive feed rarity 121 secured in spaced relation between front 16 and rear frame plates 102 and 103, respectively, and secured 17 thereto by means of adjustable U-shaped, brackets securing 'the IS roller shafts 123 in slots provided in the front and rear IS frame plates. Each drive roller is journaled for rotation upon 20 the stationary shafts 123 and provided with an undercut surface 21 portion in cooperative relationship with gates 131 of the 22 diverting mechanisms 130 which divert sheet material into the 23 proper catch tray in a predetermined sequential order.

¾ The sheet material is forwarded to the copy catch 26 trays by means of the drive feed rollers 121 driven through 26 |j a flexible drive belt 141 contacting each of the drive rollers and passing over a series of idler rollers 142 whereby each 28 drive feed roller is positively driven at the same linear 29 velocity by means of the drive belt. With the novel configura¬ 80 ii tion of the drive belt, as shown in Fig. 3, the belt may be 81 replaced if necessary by the removal of only one shaft 146 without necessitating the removal of the drive feed rollers 121.

The endless belt 141 is driven through a friction wheel 144 secured to a timing sprocket 145 rotatably mounted on a shaft 146 secured between front and rear frame plates 102 and 103, respectively, the timing sprocket being driven by an electric motor B-2.

The diverting mechanisms 130 which include a series of gates 131 secured to a gate shaft 132 are journaled for rotational movement in front and rear frame plates 102 and 103, respectively. The gates are formed with a concave portion 133 and a flat portion 134 and positioned on. the gate shafts 132 within the undercut portion of the drive rollers adjacent to the path of paper movement when the gates are out of deflecting position. When the diverting mechanisms are actuated as hereinafter described, the shaft 132 is rotated to raise the flat portion out of the undercut of the drive feed rollers to bring the concave portion 133 of the gates into interference with the path of paper movement, thereby diverting the sheet material into a predetermined catch tray.

As the sheet material is forwarded by means of the drive feed rollers cooperating with idler rollers to be hereinafter described, the diverting mechanisms 130 are sequentially actuated to divert the sheet material into the appropriate catch tray by means of a cam bank, each cam controlling the rotational movement of a single diverting mechanism for sequentially moving the gates into interference with- the path of paper movement.

To complete a paper transport for delivering sheet material to the appropriate catch tray when one modular unit is placed in cooperative relation with another modular iheet distributor, an end plate 400 or a sheet distributor such as disclosed in copending application Serial No. 28521 there are provided a plurality of idler rollers 161 supported by right-hand frame plate 106. The idler rollers 161 are individually rotatably mounted on a bifurcated bracket 162 supported on tie rods 163» secured to an idler transport frame 165, and biased in a counter-clockwise direction, as seen in Fig# 3» to be held in pressure contact with the drive feed rollers 121 of another modular distributor placed in cooperative relation to form a unitary sheet distributing machine. The positioning of the idler transport 160 and, therefore, the idler rollers 161 is determined by brackets 166 secured to the transport and right-hand frame plate 106. An end plate 400 is provided to complete a sheet transport adjacent the terminal sheet distributor section. An idler transport such as idler transport 160 is supported on end plate 400 and positioned in cooperative relation with the drive feed rollers 121 and diverting meohanisms 130 of the terminal seotion in a manner as previously described in regard to idler transport 160. Suitable mechanical convertors such as bayonets are secured to end plate 400 to mechanically interlock with suitable receptacles of the type shown in Pig. 2, for securing the end plate to the terminal section to complete a unitary distributing machine.

A plurality of parallel quide rails 164 are secured to and positioned on the transport frame 165 such that when the sheet distributor module is plaoed in cooperative relation with another sheet distributor module, the path of sheet travel formed thereby will be adjacent, the quide rails 164 between the idler rollers 161 and the drive feed rollers 121. With a pair of sheet distributor modules in such a cooperative relation, when a diverting mechanism 130 is actuated by a cam fiat portion 134 of the gate, normally parallel to the ^ath of paper travel, is rotated into interference with the path of paper travel and into the ^uide rails 164 of the idler transport. The concave portion 133 of the gate will, therefore, be moved into interference with the path of paper travel to deflect the sheet material into the appropriate catch tray.

As seen in the drawings, sheet material passes across the top of the sorter module by means of a horizontal transport 170 and between the rollers 121 and 161 into the appropriate catch tray. To facilitate the removal of occasional sheet material jams, the horizontal transport 170 is supported at one side by pivot rod 171, mounted on the rear frame plate 103 by means of brackets 172 appropriately secured thereto, to enable the transport to be pivoted out of cooperative relationship with the drive feed rollers 121, as best shown in Fig. 2, thereby enabling sheet material jams to be cleared from this section of the sheet distributor module with extreme ease. The horizontal idler transport 170 is formed with a base plate 173 having parallel g)aide rails 164 secured thereto and positioned in cooperative relation with gates of a diverting mechanism to perform the same function as the mechanism 130 already described. A plurality of tie rods are secured in upturned portions of the transport frame and support a plurality of idler rollers 161. The bifurcated portion of the idler roller brackets 162 engage a tie rod 163 and are biased in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 4, through openings in the transport frame into engagement with the drive feed rollers 121, by means of a leaf spring 174 secured to the lower portion of the bifurcated brackets by means of an upturned lip with the other end of the leaf spring seoured in a suitable slot To facilitate the removal of the sheet material jams occasionally occurring in the vertical transport formed by 8 cooperating modules, there is provided a dolly (180 secured to 4 the front and rear frame plates 102 and 103 and right-hand δ frame plate 106 as by welding and to the left-hand f-tmmo plateo 6 .-SWby means of a bracket thereby allowing the sheet distributor 7 module to be readily movable. The dolly 180 is provided with 8 three shafts 181 passing through upturned portions of the frame 9 plate 182 and having roller wheels 183 journaled for rotation 1ϋ upon the ends of each of the three shafts. A trackway lie 11 having vertically adjustable leveler feet is provided to engage 12 the rollers 183 of the dolly whereby the sheet distributor id module may be moved into cooperative relation with another 14 module to form a unitary sheet distributing machine or ov.,c of cooperative relationship for removal of sheet material jami 6 occurring in the vertical transport formed by the cooperating 7 modules. 3 While the invention has been described witV. reference 3 to the structure disclosed herein, it is not to be confined o 0 the details set forth in this application, but is intended to 1 cover such modifications or changes as may come within the 2 scope of the following claims. 3 4 β 7 8 9 0 1

Claims (4)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A sheet transport mechanism adapted to facilitate the removal of sheet material jams occurring therein including a plurality of rotatable drive rollers- positioned in spaced relation to each other by a support member, a plurality of rotatable idler rollers positionable in operative relationship with said drive rollers such that a path, of sheet material travel, is formed between said idler rollers and said drive rollers and supported in spaced relation to each other by a. frame member on bifurcated support brackets which are biased into position on said frame member by springs engaging said bifurcated support brackets at one end and slidably engaging said frame member, at the opposite end such that said springs may be slid out of contact with said frame member to disengage said- bifurcated support brackets from said frame member for the removal of said idler rollers and means connecting said frame member to said support member to move said idler rollers in and out from operative relationship with said drive rollers.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said frame is pivotally connected to said support member.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said frame is connected to one side of said support member parallel path of sheet material travel .

4. A sheet transport mechanism substantially as described above by wa of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings . '