Patent ID: 7722038
Filing Date: 2010-05-25
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. A document processing system for feeding and transporting documents, the system comprising: a feeder stage including a hopper assembly and a feeder wherein the feeder acts to feed documents singly, in order, form a stack of documents in the hopper assembly; a transport stage downstream of the feeder stage for receiving the fed documents, the transport stage including a document track composed of a pair of opposing rigid track walls wherein, during transportation, the documents are moved along the document track in a series to allow operation to be performed on the documents; a retractable mechanism cooperating with a portion of the document track and including a first base member that carries the other side of the document track; an imaging assembly composed of an imaging device and an image glass positioned on one side of the document track at the retractable mechanism; and an assertable member arranged such that assertion of the member causes retraction of the opposing walls in the cooperative portion of the document track by retracting the mechanism and thereby retracting the imaging assembly; wherein the retractable mechanism includes a mechanical spring and lock arrangement wherein, in response to the assertion of the assertable member, the arrangement unlocks and the spring causes the retracting of the first base member to cause the relative retracting of the imaging assembly; wherein the imaging assembly is coupled to the retractable mechanism to facilitate movement of the imaging assembly.