Patent ID: 6588740
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
A feeding and separating device for consistently separating an outermost sheet of media from a stack and feeding it to an imaging rendering apparatus, the feeding and separating device comprising:a) a sheet transport mechanism; b) a feed mechanism for feeding sheets to the sheet transport mechanism, the feed mechanism being positioned so as to frictionally engage the outermost sheet of the stack to advance the sheet toward the sheet transport mechanism, the feed mechanism comprising a feed roller; c) a separation mechanism positioned adjacent to the feed mechanism, the separation mechanism comprising a separation roller; d) at least one drive mechanism in operable association with the feed or separation mechanisms for transmitting a drive force to the feed or separation roller, and comprising a feed or separation roller direction reversal mechanism for reversing the direction of the feed or separation roller; e) a plurality of different types of sensor devices for measuring characteristics of the sheet or sheets being fed, at least one of the sensor devices being positioned adjacent to the feed roller; f) a microprocessor in operable communication with the sensor devices for comparing and recording measurements, and the feed or separation roller direction reversal mechanism; wherein, depending on input from the sensor devices, the microprocessor automatically outputs to the feed or separation roller direction reversal mechanism to address feed-related problems encountered during operation; wherein the feed or separation roller direction reversal mechanism is a mechanism for interrupting the drive connection to the feed roller; and wherein the microprocessor recognizes a feed problem through input from the sensor devices, and signals the drive connection interruption mechanism, which halts the feed roller, whereupon continued rotation of the adjacent separation roller drives the feed roller in a reverse direction.