Patent ID: 6464217
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
A drive roller assembly in a feeder, wherein the feeder encounters a tangential force during a feeding operation of substantially flat objects, said drive roller assembly comprising:(a) a drive shaft having a longitudinal axis operatively connected a driving device for rotation about the longitudinal axis; (b) a plurality of rollers mounted on the drive shaft for motion; and (c) a plurality of torque limiting devices comprising a slip clutch each for mechanically coupling an individual roller to the drive shaft and setting a maximum torque for the roller so that the roller is driven along with the drive shaft when the tangential force exerted on the respective roller does not the exceed the maximum torque and the roller is individually mechanically decoupled from the drive shaft when said tangential force exceeds the maximum torque, wherein each roller has a groove substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft, said drive roller assembly further comprising: a plurality of pins axially located on the drive shaft with each pin seated in a groove of a corresponding roller; and means for providing an urging force on each roller against the respective pin in order to create a frictional force between the pin and the groove for setting the maximum torque for the respective roller so that the pin mechanically couples the respective roller to the drive shaft when the tangential force exerted on the roller does not exceed the maximum torque and the pin rides up and out of the groove of the roller thereby mechanically decoupling the respective roller from the drive shaft when the tangential force exerted on the roller exceeds the limiting force.