DOCUMENT FEEDING MECHANISM

Abstract: A document feeding mechanism includes a driving roller (12) and a pinch roller (14) which are operable to drive documents one by one therebetween along a feed path, and further includes a quick-release mechanism whereby, in the event of a document becoming jammed in the feed path, the pinch roller (14) may be moved quickly from its operating position to a retracted position away from the feed path to enable an operator to remove the jammed document from the feed path. The pinch roller is rotatably mounted on a frame (28) which is pivotally mounted on a support block (38), and the quick-release mechanism includes an actuating lever (60) which is also pivotally mounted on the support block (38). The lever (60) cooperates with the frame (28) via coupling means (72, 82) whereby the pinch roller (14) can be moved to its operating position or to its retracted position by operation of the lever (60).

Description: - 1 - DOCUMENT FEEDING MECHANISM Technical Field This invention relates to document feeding mechanisms. The invention is concerned in particular with document feeding mechanisms of the kind including a driving roller and a pinch roller to feed documents therebetween in a document track. Background Art One of the problems which occurs with document feeding mechanisms of the kind specified is that is is sometimes difficult to extract a document which becomes jammed in a document track. The jamming of a document may occur near a reading head (like an optical read head or a magnetic read head) which is located in the document track associated with a financial business machine such as an encoder or proofing machine, for example. With some prior aft constructions, by the time a jammed document is removed from the document track, the jammed document may become crumpled or torn. Disclosure of the Invention It is an object of the invention to provide a document feeding mechanism of the kind specified which includes means for quickly releasing the pinch roller from its operative position with respect to the driving roller. It is a further object of the invention to provide such release mechanism which is simple to operate and inexpensive to produce. According to the invention ' there is provided a document feeding mechanism including first and second rollers which are operable to drive documents one by one therebetween along a feed path, characterized in that said second roller is rotatably mounted on a frame which is pivotally mounted on support means whereby said second roller may be moved towards or away from said first roller, the mechanism further including an actuating lever which is pivotally mounted on said support means so as to be pivotally movable between first and second positions, and coupling means secured to said frame and arranged to be in cooperative engagement with said actuating lever, whereby when said actuating lever is in said first position said second roller is held in an operating position with respect to said first roller and when said actuating lever is in said second position said second roller is in a non-operating position spaced from said feed path to facilitate the removal of a document from said feed path. Brief Description of the Drawings One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an end view, in elevation, of a document feeding mechanism in accordance with this invention, looking in the downstream direction along a document track (as viewed from the direction of arrow A of Fig. " 4), showing a document being driven between a driving roller and its associated pinch roller, with the pinch roller in the active position; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the pinch roller in a retracted position; Fig. 3 is a side view, in elevation, which is taken from the direction of arrow B shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a general view, in perspective, showing a typical environment in which the mechanism of this invention may be used. - 3 - Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Fig. 1 shows a document track 10 with which this invention may be used. The document track 10 may be part of financial machines such as check sorters, bank proofing machines, or encoders, for example. In general, documents are moved in the document track 10 to various processing stations along the length of the track 10. The documents like 13 (Fig. 1) are moved in the document track 10 by a driving roller 12 and its associated pinch roller 14. In the embodiment described, the pinch roller 14 is rotatably mounted on a quick-releasing mechanism which will be referred to hereinafter as mechanism 16. When the mechanism 16 and the pinch roller 14 are in the active position shown in Fig. 1, the pinch roller 14 cooperates with the driving roller 12 to move the document 13 therebetween, and when the mechanism 16 and the pinch roller 14 are in the inactive position shown in Fig-. 2, there is no feeding or moving of a document 13 by the driving roller 12 and the pinch roller 14. Before discussing the mechanism 16 in detail, it appears appropriate to discuss a typical environment in which the mechanism 16 may be used. Fig. 4 shows a portion of a typical financial machine designated generally as 18 in which the mechanism 16 may be used. The machine portion 18 may include a read head 20 (shown only schematically in Fig. 4) which may be used to read optical data on a document like a check. Also, the read head 20 may be a magnetic read head for reading magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) data on the documents. With such an arrangement as that shown in Fig. 4, there generally is provided a driving roller 12 and its associated pinch roller 14 located on the upstream side of the read head 20 and another driving roller (not shown) and its associated pinch roller 22 located on the downstream side of the read head 20 for feeding the documents past the read head 20, with the feeding direction being indicated by arrow 24. As stated earlier herein, one of the .problems with prior art feeding mechanisms of the kind specified is that a document which jams in the area of an associated read head is difficult to extract; however, with the arrangement shown in Fig. 4, the mechanism 16 provides a quick way of releasing the pinch roller 14 from its associated driving roller 12, and similarly, a mechanism 26 (which is identical to mechanism 16) provides a quick way of releasing the pinch roller 22. When the pinch rollers 14 and 22 are quickly released, the driving rollers, like 12, are no longer effective in attempting to move the jammed document; consequently, less damage is done to the document. For example, if the leading edge of a document- is jammed at the reader 20, the driving roller 12 and its associated pinch roller 14 (when coupled together) may cause the document to crumple or to be abraded due to the "scrubbing" action of the rollers 12 and 14. Quickness in removing the jammed document under these circumstances minimizes the damage done to the document. The mechanisms 16 and 26 facilitate the quick removal of jammed documents. The mechanism 16 (Figs. 1-3) includes a frame 28 which may be stamped out of sheet metal and formed into the shape shown. The frame 28 includes a straight portion 30 having a ninety degree bend at one end thereof to produce an offset portion 32 on which the pinch roller 14 is rotatably mounted. The lower end (as viewed in Figs. 1-3) of the frame 28 has first and second offset portions 34 and 36 which are spaced apart in parallel relationship to receive therebetween a mounting block designated generally as 38. The mounting block 38 and the first and second portions 34 and 36 have aligned holes (not shown) therein to receive a mounting pin 40 to enable the frame 28 to be pivotally mounted thereon for movement between the active position shown in Fig. 1 and the inactive or retracted position shown in Fig. 2. The frame 28 is retained on the pin 40 by suitable "C" washers 42 and 44 (Fig. 3) fitting into mating recesses (not shown) on the pin 40. The mounting block 38 (Figs. 1-3) has flanges 46 and 48 extending therefrom to enable it to be secured to the underside of a base plate 50 by fasteners 52 and 54. The mounting block 38 is "re¬ shaped, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, with an arcuately- shaped slot or recess 56 being formed in the leg 58 of the block 38. A planar, actuating lever 60 is positioned in the arcuately-shaped recess 56 as shown. The mounting block 38 also has a slot as shown at area 57 in Fig. 2 which communicates with the arcuately- shaped recess 56 to enable the lever 60 to be moved to the position shown in. Fig. 1. The actuating lever 60 (Figs. 1-2) has an arcuately-shaped portion 62 which is complementary in shape to the arcuately-shaped recess 56 in the mounting block 38 to enable the actuating lever to be pivoted between the first or active position shown in Fig. 1 and the second or retracted position shown in Fig. 2. The actuating lever 60 has a first, flat surface portion 64, a second, flat surface portion 66, and a third or joining portion 68 positioned therebetween as shown to provide a smooth transition between the first and second flat portions 64 and 66. The actuating lever 60 also has a handle 70 which is moved quickly by an operator from the position shown in Fig..l to the position shown in Fig. 2 when a document jam occurs. Because the actuating lever is planar, it may be formed by stamping, for example, to minimize the cost of producing the mechanism 16. The means for coupling the actuating lever 60 to the frame 28 includes an "L"-shaped bracket 72 having one leg 74 secured to the frame 28 by fasteners 76 and 78, with the remaining leg 80 being positioned over the first flat portion 64 of the actuating lever 60 when the lever 60 is in the position shown in Fig. 1. A fastener 82 (providing a means for adjusting the pressure between the pinch roller 14 and its associated driving roller 12) is part of the coupling between the bracket 72 and the actuating lever 60. The fastener 82 is threadedly received in the leg 80 and has a cylindrically-shaped, plastic boot 84 on its lower end to minimize the wear on the actuating lever 60. The fastener 82 may be advanced to increase the pressure of pinch roller 14 against the drive roller 12 or it may be withdrawn to decrease the named pressure. A locking nut 86 is used to retain the fastener 82 in the adjusted position. In assembling the mechanism 16, the actuating lever 60 is positioned in the arcuately-shaped recess 56 in the mounting block 38, and thereafter the frame 28 and the bracket 72, with the fastener 82 thereon, are pivotally mounted on the pin 40 in the mounting block 38. Thereafter, the mounting block 38 is secured to the underside of the base plate 50, and the pressure between the rollers 12 and 14 is adjusted as previously described. In the embodiment described, the pressure between the rollers 12 and 14 is adjusted to a force of about 0.45 kilogram along the line of contact therebetween. As previously stated, Fig. 1 shows the mechanism 16 in an active position. When a jam in feeding a document 13 occurs, the handle 70 of the actuating lever 60 is moved upwardly (as viewed in Fig. 1) to the position shown in Fig, 2. In moving the handle 70 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the fastener 82 (with the - 7 - plastic boot 84 thereon) rides over the joining portion 68 of the actuating lever 60 to thereby momentarily increase the pressure of the pinch roller 14 against the driving roller 12 to a maximum before the pressure between these rollers 12 and 14 is relieved as shown in Fig. 2. In effect, the joining portion 68 on the actuating lever 60 acts as a dead center position, with the pinch roller 14 being retained in the operating and retracted positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by the first and second flat portion 64 and 66, respectively. Naturally, at least one of the rollers 12 and 14 is sufficiently resiliently compressible to enable the actuating lever * 60 to be moved over the joining portion 68 in moving between the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2. After the jammed document 13 is removed from the document track 10, the actuating lever 60 for each of the mechanisms 16 and 26 may -be moved to the active position shown in Fig. 1. Some miscellaneous comments appear in order. The driving roller 12 is considered a driving roller in relation to the pinch roller 14; however, the driving roller 12 is rotated or driven by a conventional drive which is shown only schematically as drive 88. The document track 10 includes the side walls 10-1 and 10-2 which are upstanding from and secured to the base plate 50. While the mounting block 38 is shown as metal, it may be made of a suitable plastic material to reduce costs. The mechanisms 16 and 26 (Fig. 4) are shown only schematically in being coupled to their associated pinch rollers 14 and 22, respectively, and the base plate 50. The mechanism 16 can be provided as a separate assembly for sale.

Claims: CLAIMS : 1. A document feeding mechanism including first and second rollers (12, 14) which are operable to drive documents (13) one by one therebetween along a feed path, characterized in that said second roller (14) is rotatably mounted on a frame (28) which is pivotally mounted on support means (38, 50) whereby said second roller may be moved towards or away from said first roller, the mechanism further including an actuating lever (60) which is pivotally mounted on said support means (38, 50) so as to be pivotally movable between first and second positions, and coupling means (72, 82) secured to said frame (28) and arranged to be in cooperative engagement with said actuating lever, whereby when said actuating lever is in said first position and second roller (14) is held in an operating position with respect to said first roller (12), and when said .actuating lever is.in said second position said second roller is in a non- operating position spaced from said feed path to facilitate the removal of a document from said feed path. 2. A mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that said support means (38, 50) has an arcuately-shaped recess (56) formed therein, and said actuating lever (60) has an arcuately-shaped portion (62) which is complementary in shape to, and engages with, said recess to enable said lever to be pivoted between said first and second positions. 3. A mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that said support means includes base means (50) on which are mounted guide means (10-1, 10- 2) for guiding documents along said feed path, and a mounting block (38) on which said frame (28) is pivotally mounted and in which said recess (56) is - 9 - formed, said mounting block (38) being detachably secured to said base means (50). 4. A mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of said first and second rollers (12, 14) is of resiliently compressible material, and said actuating lever (60) has first (64) and second (66) surface portions which engage with said coupling means (72, 82) when said lever is in said first and second positions respectively, said lever (60) being so configured that when it is in said first position said second roller (14) is urged into resilient engagement with said first roller (12), and that the pressure between said first and second rollers increases momentarily to a maximum as said coupling means (72, 82) passes out of engagement with said first surface portion (64) and into engagement with said second surface portion (66) during -movement of said lever (60) from said first position to said second position. 5. A mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that said coupling means (72, 82) includes adjusting means (82) for adjusting the pressure between said first and second rollers (12, 14) when said actuating lever (60) is in said first position. 6. A mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that said coupling means (72, 82) includes a bracket (72) secured to said frame (28), and said adjusting means is in the form of an adjusting screw (82) which is mounted on said bracket and which has an end provided with a covering (84) of plastic material arranged to coact with said first and second surface portions (64, 66). 7. A mechanism according to any one of said preceding claims, characterized in that said first roller (12) is a driving roller and said second roller (14) is a pinch roller. 8. A mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by reading means (20) for reading data from documents (13) fed along said feed path, and third and fourth rollers which are operable to drive documents one by one between them along said feed path, said first and second rollers (12, 14) being located upstream from said reading means (20) relative to the feeding direction of said documents, and said third and fourth rollers being located downstream from said reading means relative to said feeding direction, at least one of said third and fourth rollers being of resiliently compressible material, and said fourth roller 22) being associated with mounting and actuating means (26) substantially identical to the mounting and actuating means (28, 38, 60, 72, 82) associated with said second roller (14), whereby said fourth roller (22) may be moved between an operating position in which said fourth roller (22) is in resilient engagement with said third roller, and a non-operating position spaced from said feed path to facilitate the removal of a document from said feed path.

Inventors: NALLY RICKARD PATRICK, PETERSEN BORGE, NALLY, RICKARD, PATRICK, PETERSEN, BORGE
Applicants: NCR CO, NCR CORPORATION
Application year: 1986
Main classification: G06K13
IPC codes: B65H5, G06K13