Patent ID: 6105954
Filing Date: 2000-08-22
Classification: B65H,H04N,Y10S

Abstract:
A sheet feeding mechanism for directing a sheet having an image thereon along a feed path in a lengthwise direction through an electro-optical scanner relative to a camera that scans successive lines of the image, the camera defining a scanning field of view along an image line oriented in a widthwise direction transverse to the lengthwise direction, the sheet entering the feeding mechanism from an upstream location and exiting the feeding mechanism to a downstream location, the sheet feeding mechanism comprising:a first driven roller located on a first side of the image line adjacent the upstream location;a second driven roller, located on a opposing second side of the image line adjacent the downstream location;a drive for rotating each of the first driven roller and the second driven roller at a selected drive speed to direct the sheet in each of a downstream direction and an opposing upstream direction;a first idler rotatably engaging the first driven roller to define a first drive nip therebetween;a second idler rotatably engaging the second driven roller to define a second drive nip therebetween;a lead edge sensor located in the feed path adjacent the second driven roller, being constructed and arranged to provide a signal indicating entry of a lead edge of the sheet thereinto; anda controller for controlling a rotation of the drive, the controller being interconnected with the lead edge sensor and the controller including a position determiner that derives a relative movement distance of the sheet along the feed path based upon an amount of rotation of the drive, the controller being constructed and arranged to operate the drive to selectively direct the sheet in each of the downstream direction and the upstream direction based upon a location of the lead edge, whereby the sheet is selectively moved upstream and downstream to locate the lead edge at desired locations along the feed path.