US3420520A - Sheet responsive control device - Google Patents

Sheet responsive control device Download PDF

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Publication number
US3420520A
US3420520A US520963A US3420520DA US3420520A US 3420520 A US3420520 A US 3420520A US 520963 A US520963 A US 520963A US 3420520D A US3420520D A US 3420520DA US 3420520 A US3420520 A US 3420520A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
path
document
travel
sheet
actuating arm
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US520963A
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English (en)
Inventor
Albert Carl Wiegert
Louis John Cook Jr
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Eastman Kodak Co
Original Assignee
Eastman Kodak Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Eastman Kodak Co filed Critical Eastman Kodak Co
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3420520A publication Critical patent/US3420520A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H29/00—Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles
    • B65H29/001—Adaptations of counting devices
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C1/00—Measures preceding sorting according to destination
    • B07C1/02—Forming articles into a stream; Arranging articles in a stream, e.g. spacing, orientating
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K13/00—Conveying record carriers from one station to another, e.g. from stack to punching mechanism
    • G06K13/02—Conveying record carriers from one station to another, e.g. from stack to punching mechanism the record carrier having longitudinal dimension comparable with transverse dimension, e.g. punched card
    • G06K13/06—Guiding cards; Checking correct operation of card-conveying mechanisms

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a control device which is responsive to individual sheets fed along a given path. More specifically, the present invention concerns an improved device for actuating or initiating functions relating to an apparatus, in response to the movement of individual sheets along a path associated with the apparatus. In accordance with the improved actuating device of the present invention, a definite engagement is provided between the sheet engaging member and individual sheets fed past the engaging member, even under conditions of close sheet spacing and rapid feed rates.
  • the present invvention has many useful adaptations and can be used in conjunction with numerous types of apparatus.
  • the invention is hereinafter described as it might be incorporated to actuate control functions in a continuous microfilmer, such functions including, for example, operating a counter, lamp or shutter by means of a document-actuated microswitch.
  • other equivalent connections such as a mechanical linkage or fluid coupling can be used to initiate functions relating to the apparatus in which it is used.
  • the actuating member can be adapted to effect such functions itself without operating through other mechanisms.
  • Previous devices which provide an actuating movement in response to individual sheets fed past the device; however, difficulty has been experienced in achieving a reliable actuation in response to each sheet in situations where the individual documents are spaced at close intervals along the path of travel and/or fed at rapid rates. Under such conditions, the actuations provided by devices of the type previously known in many instances are not initiated at all or at best are quite erratic because proper engagement between individual sheets and the actuating arm did not occur.
  • the actuation of the counter mechanism becomes erratic at document feed rates of about 500 or more check sized documents per minute.
  • the actuating device which is the subject of this invention overcomes the difficulties previously encountered under conditions of high feed rate and/ or close document spacing by providing a more definite engagement between the leading edge of individual sheets and an engaging portion of the actuating member which extends generally perpendicularly to and through the main path of document travel.
  • the more definite engagement between these elements is achieved in part by providing means to displace a portion of each document out of the main path of docu- "Ice ment travel, thus forming a bowed shelf which engages the engaging portion at a point which is out of the main path of travel.
  • the definite engagement of the present invention is made more eifective by providing a time lapse for the end of the engaging portion of the actuating arm to return to the main path of travel before the engaging portion is contacted by the next succeeding document.
  • an object of this invention to provide a device for initiating functions relating to an apparatus in response to individual sheets fed along a given path associated therewith.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet responsive actuating device which performs reliably under conditions of rapid sheet feed and/or when the sheets are closely spaced along the feed path.
  • Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an actuating device which can accommodate the individual sheets at a more rapid rate than previously known devices while maintaining certain, reliable response to each sheet fed thereby.
  • Still another object of the present invention is to provide means for effecting more definite and certain engagement between an actuating member and individual sheets fed along a fixed path.
  • FIG. 1 is an elevation view taken along the cross-sectional lines 1-1 of FIG. 2 illustrating one embodiment of the invention and showing the position of the actuating arm prior to contact with the first of a series of sheets.
  • FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front view of a portion of the document feed path further showing the invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a top view of the fragmentary section in FIG. 2.
  • FIGS. 4-6 are elevational views similar to FIG. 1 but showing the various positions of the actuating arm and feed sheets during different stages of the actuating se quenee.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 a segment of the path of travel P of a document D through a typical apparatus embodying the present invention can be seen.
  • the main path of travel P is defined on one side by the guide plates 11, rollers 13 and guide plates 14.
  • Feed belts 15 define the other side of the main path of document travel and are moved over the rollers 13 and other rollers (not shown) so as to carry the documents D along the path P from an upstream to downstream position in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1.
  • an actuating arm 20 is disposed adjacent the main path of document travel with a sheet engaging portion 21 thereof extending generally perpendicular to and through the path P at a location between the feed belts 15 and downstream along the path of document travel from the end of the center guide plate 14.
  • the actuating arm 20 is supported in the rest position shown in FIG. 1 by the bottom stop 23 and the guide bracket 24 and is resiliently urged against the stop and bracket by the spring 25 which is attached near the end opposite the engaging portion 21.
  • a microswitch is so 10- cated that a microswitch arm 31, pivotally attached thereto at axis 3-3, extends to engage the actuating arm 20 between its two ends.
  • the microswitch arm 31 is formed having a necked down end 32 and is of a length so that the end 32 extends through an opening 34 formed in actuating arm 20. It can be seen, therefore, that actuating arm 20 is free to move against the spring 25 so that the sheet engaging portion 21 can be moved along the path of document travel when engaged by documents fed thereby.
  • the movement of the actuat ing arm along the path of travel moves microswitch arm 31 about the axis 33 and effects closing of the microswitch 30.
  • the center guide plate 14' is formed with a raised guide finger 17 extending from the end thereof through the main path of document travel defined between the plates -14 and feed belts 15.
  • the end of the guide finger 17 is located a distance X back along the path of travel from the lowermost position of the end of the sheet engaging portion 21 of the actuating arm 20.
  • Operation of the improved actuating device normally commences when a series of documents are fed into the apparatus along the feed path, in which instance the actuating arm is initially in the rest position shown in FIG. 1.
  • the portion 21 is engaged thereby and moved to the position shown in FIG. 4, at which point the portion 21 is disengaged from the edge of the document.
  • actuation is effected by the device, in this instance a closing of microswitch 30 through the linkage of microswitch arm 31.
  • the spring 25 returns the actuating arm 20 to the bottom position shown in FIG. 5 with'the end of the sheet engaging portion 21 thereof riding on the trailing surface of the document from which it has been disengaged.
  • the actuating device herein described affords a more certain engagement between the actuating arm and each sheet fed therepast, which engagement does not depend on a gap in the direction of document feed existing between the trailing and leading edges, respectively, of successive documents.
  • an actuating arm connected to said mechanism and located on one side of said path, said arm having a sheet engaging portion engageable and movable by the leading edge of each of the individual sheets fed therepast;
  • the device is described in claim 2 further comprising means contacting said sheet during movement along said 'path of travel for urging said sheet into said path, whereby the portion of a sheet displaced from said path by said guide means is rapidly moved back into said path after the trailing edge of said sheet moves out of contact with said guide means.
  • a device for initiating functions relating to said apparatus in response to individual sheets ted therepast comprising:
  • (c) means responsive to movement of said actuating arm for initiating functions related to said apparatus.
  • said guide means comprises a guide plate having a flat portion extending along said path of travel on the side opposite said one side and an end portion extending from said flat portion across said path at a locatoin upstream from, along the direction of feed, said first position of said sheet engaging portion.
  • the device as described in claim 4 further comprising means contacting said sheet during movement along said path of travel for moving said displaced portion of said sheet back into said path after the trailing edge of said sheet move-s past said guide means.
  • said means for moving said sheet back into said path comprises at least two belts disposed on said one side of said path so that each respectively engages said document on an opposite side transversely from said guide means at at least one point forward along the path of travel from said guide means.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Delivering By Means Of Belts And Rollers (AREA)
  • Sheets, Magazines, And Separation Thereof (AREA)
  • Feeding Of Articles By Means Other Than Belts Or Rollers (AREA)
  • Registering Or Overturning Sheets (AREA)
US520963A 1966-01-17 1966-01-17 Sheet responsive control device Expired - Lifetime US3420520A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US52096366A 1966-01-17 1966-01-17

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3420520A true US3420520A (en) 1969-01-07

Family

ID=24074769

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US520963A Expired - Lifetime US3420520A (en) 1966-01-17 1966-01-17 Sheet responsive control device

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3420520A (fr)
CH (1) CH458407A (fr)
DE (1) DE1522061A1 (fr)
FR (1) FR1507939A (fr)
GB (1) GB1168544A (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3912890A (en) * 1974-06-12 1975-10-14 Bacom Inc Sensing switch having resilient finger sensor for detecting a document
US4051957A (en) * 1975-01-21 1977-10-04 Pitney-Bowes, Inc. Container loading system

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1655121A (en) * 1925-07-22 1928-01-03 Aldrich Lester Kyle Automatic caliper stop
US3027075A (en) * 1959-02-02 1962-03-27 Cutler Hammer Inc Counting device
US3219829A (en) * 1961-03-30 1965-11-23 Ferag Fehr & Reist A G Photoelectric device for counting advancing overlapped flat articles

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1655121A (en) * 1925-07-22 1928-01-03 Aldrich Lester Kyle Automatic caliper stop
US3027075A (en) * 1959-02-02 1962-03-27 Cutler Hammer Inc Counting device
US3219829A (en) * 1961-03-30 1965-11-23 Ferag Fehr & Reist A G Photoelectric device for counting advancing overlapped flat articles

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3912890A (en) * 1974-06-12 1975-10-14 Bacom Inc Sensing switch having resilient finger sensor for detecting a document
US4051957A (en) * 1975-01-21 1977-10-04 Pitney-Bowes, Inc. Container loading system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1168544A (en) 1969-10-29
DE1522061A1 (de) 1969-06-26
CH458407A (fr) 1968-06-30
FR1507939A (fr) 1967-12-29

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