Device for feeding originals to a copying machine

A copying machine including a light exposure device having a stationary light source for illuminating an original to be copied and adapted to form an electrostatic latent image on a photo-sensitive member through exposure by said light exposure device. A copying machine provided with a first insertion port and a transfer means adapted to feed an original to be copied from the first insertion port to the discharge position through the light exposure position so as to transfer an original to be copied, a second insertion port for inserting an original to be copied from the direction different from the first insertion port and a second transfer means adapted to reverse the feeding direction and the surface of the original to be copied from said second insertion port and feed the same to the exposure position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT 
The present invention relates to a copying machine in which the original to 
be copied is transfered and it is illuminated by the light projected from 
a stationary light source during movement of the original. 
Copying machines of the type as above mentioned is known as a so-called 
original moving type. According to the copying machines of this type, when 
the original was to be exposed to the light, it was made in contact with a 
sheet of glass, such that flatness might be kept and then illuminated by a 
stationary light source. When as viewed in the vertical direction, it was 
usual that the optical system was provided above the photo-sensitive 
member, said glass was provided above said optical system and the original 
to be copied was moved above the glass sheet. From this arrangement, such 
a copying machine as the original to be copied is inserted with the 
surface to be copied facing downwardly is already suggested. However when 
the original to be copied is made to face downwardly, it has become 
difficult to recognize the content and location of what is written in the 
original to be copied as well as it would also be difficult to 
intentionally displace the copying position for certain purposes. 
Particularly inconvenience has been experienced in case of providing a 
composite copy of drawings or the like. 
It is sometimes desired to place the original to be copied facing upwardly 
in such cases as not only of displacement of the copying position and 
provision of a composite copy but also of inserting the original to be 
copied into the copier ascertaining what is written on the original. In 
such cases, the original has to be reversed by 180 degrees when it arrives 
at the position of exposure and for this purpose such a mechanism as to 
reverse the faces of an original had to be separately arranged. 
It is understood that the original to be copied may be easily reversed by 
180 degrees by use of a reversing roller or the like and transported to 
the position of exposure if the original is thin and flexible. It is to be 
noted however that if the original is rigid and thick, the diameter of the 
reversing roller or the like has to be considerably increased enough to 
execute reversing and because of this, a large space for accommodation is 
required. On the other hand if the diameter of such a reversing roller is 
limited to a certain size, there has been caused such problems as the 
dimensions of the original to be copied had to be accordingly. 
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to eliminate the problems of prior 
arts as above mentioned and provide such a copying machine as the original 
to be copied may be inserted into the machine with the face to be copied 
facing either upwardly or downwardly. 
The present invention has attained this object by providing at least two 
insertion portions, comprising the first insertion portion where the face 
of an original to be copied is inserted into the copying machine facing 
downwardly and the second insertion portion where the face of an original 
to be copied is inserted into the copying machine facing upwardly. 
The present invention has largely improved operation efficiency at the time 
of copying work owing to the above-mentioned constitution through 
provision of insertion portions capable of inserting the face of an 
original to be copied facing both upwardly and downwardly. The present 
invention has also enabled any sort of and any conditions of originals to 
be copied successfully.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
An embodiment of the present invention will now be explained by referring 
to the accompanying drawing. 
In the drawing, numeral 1 designates a photosensitive drum around which are 
provided a charger 2, a light exposing device 3, a development device 4, a 
transferring and separating device 5 and a cleaning device 6. The exposing 
device 3 includes one or plurality of stationary light source(s) 8 and a 
self-focusing light transmitting elements array (hereinafter SLA) 7 
adapted to direct the light reflected from the original to be copied. 
Disposed on the exposing apparatus 3 is a sheet of glass 9 adapted to 
maintain flatness of the original to be copied. Rollers for feeding the 
originals are provided in pairs at both the inlet and exit sides of the 
glass 9. Each pair of rollers comprise a first feeding roller 10 of a 
larger diameter and a second feeding roller 11 of a smaller diameter in 
contact with the lower part of the first feeding roller 10. 
In the copying machine constructed as above, when the photo-sensitive drum 
1 is rotatably driven in a direction indicated by the arrow, a 
photo-sensitive layer of the photo-sensitive drum 1 is charged by the 
charger 2 and then subjected to exposure by the light exposing device 3. 
At this instance, the original to be copied is nipped by the first and 
second feeding rollers 10, 11 and transferred in a direction indicated by 
the arrow at a predetermined speed and then illuminated by the light 
source 8. The light image thus produced is focused on the photo-sensitive 
drum 1 through the SLA 7. In this way electrostatic latent image 
corresponding to the original to be copied is formed on the photosensitive 
layer and this latent image is made visible by the developing device 4. 
Then this visible image is transferred to a transfer sheet 12 through 
operation of the transferring and separating device 5. The transfer sheet 
12 is then separated from the photo-sensitive drum 1. It is to be noted 
that subsequently to separation, the transfer sheet 12 is fixed by a 
fixing device 13 and discharged out of the copying machine. It is also to 
be noted that the photo-sensitive drum 1 is cleaned by the cleaning device 
6 and made ready for the next copying operation. 
In the copying machine which is operated in the manner as above mentioned, 
there are incorporated in accordance with the present invention the first 
insertion section 14 wherein the original to be copied is transferred with 
the face to be copied facing downwardly to the glass sheet 9 serving as 
the exposure section and the second insertion section 15 wherein the 
original to be copied is transferred with the face to be copied facing 
upwardly to the glass sheet 9. The first insertion section 14 includes a 
insertion port 16 provided in the tangential direction of the first and 
second transfer rollers 10, 11 and upstream thereof in the transferring 
direction and an insertion table 17 carrying the original to be copied for 
inserting the same into the insertion port 16. On the other hand, the 
second insertion section 15 includes an insertion port 18 and an insertion 
table 19 for carrying the original to be copied for inserting the same to 
the insertion port 18 which is provided at the side opposite to the first 
insertion section 14 or downstream thereof in the transferring direction 
as well as at the upper side location or the leftwardly in the drawing and 
in the tangential direction of the first transfer roller 10 at the upper 
portion thereof. 
The original to be copied 0 which is to be inserted from the first 
insertion section 14 is inserted from the insertion port 16 with the face 
to be copied facing downwardly and subjected to exposure by the light 
exposing device 3 while it is nipped by the first and second transfer 
rollers 10, 11 and transferred. Then it will be discharged to a tray 20 
for originals provided at the left side of a copying machine proper. In 
the meantime, the original to be copied O' which is inserted from the 
second insertion section 15 is inserted from the insertion port 18 with 
the face to be copied facing upwardly. In this case, a third transfer 
roller 21 is provided on the first transfer roller 10 and a reversing 
guide plate 22 is arranged along the right side of the circumference of 
the first transfer roller 10 on the right side. This arrangement will 
permit the original to be copied to be nipped by the third roller 21 and 
the first transfer roller 10 and reversed by the first transfer roller 10 
on the right side and the reversing guide plate 22. The original to be 
copied thus reversed is turned with the face to be copied facing 
downwardly and transferred to the first and second transfer rollers 10, 11 
in a similar manner to insertion of the original from the first insertion 
port 16 of the first insertion section 14 and arrives at the glass sheet 9 
where exposure is executed. Then the original is discharged to the tray 20 
for the originals. 
Since two insertion sections are provided as above explained, an original 
of a normal sheet may be inserted by use of the second insertion section 
with the face to be copied facing upwardly thus improving operational 
efficiency of the copying machine. In case that an original to be copied 
which is so thick and difficult to be reversed is to be inserted, the 
first insertion section 14 may be used, so that the original may be 
transferred substantially linearly and copied without difficulties. It is 
further to be noted that when the second insertion section 15 is used, the 
face to be copied of the original in question may be observed so that 
composition of the image of the original, displacement of the originals 
and so forth may be executed accurately and easily. As the long original 
is frequently rolled with the face to be copied facing inwardly, if the 
original is inserted with the face to be copied facing upwardly, it is 
difficult to operate because the face is curled upwardly. In such an 
occasion, is the first insertion section is employed and the face of the 
original to be copied is caused to face downwardly, it will become easy to 
operate because the face is curled downwardly. In this manner, if the 
first insertion section 14 or the second insertion section 15 are 
selectively employed depending on how the face to be copied is curled, 
operation of the copying machine may be greatly enhanced. 
Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described 
as above, the present invention is understood to be not limited to the 
embodiment but may be modified in many ways. For instance, the number of 
the insertion sections should not be limited to two, but three or more of 
such sections may be employed and in the embodiment as above described, 
such insertion sections may be provided as the original may be inserted 
obliquely or vertically. It is further to be noted that the insertion 
section be not limited to such a one as the original will be manually 
inserted but such an automatic original feeding device (ADF) or the like 
may be provided at the location corresponding to the insertion base as 
required. 
It is further naturally to be understood that the present invention may be 
applied not only to a copying machine as illustrated herein but to a 
facsimile device or the like. It is intended therefore that the term of a 
copying machine herein used should also imply a facsimile device or the 
like.