Document feeding apparatus

Abstract: Apparatus for moving a document (22) towards the bottom of a document track (16) as the document (22) is moved in first and second directions within the track (16) includes a feed unit (28) positioned on one side of the document track (16) and a cooperating unit (30) positioned on the opposed side of the track. The cooperating unit (30) has a rod (36) which is pivotally supported in a support (40). A high friction roller (52) is secured to the top end of the rod (36) and a low friction roller (54) is rotatably supported on the lower end of the rod (36). The feed unit (128) has an idler roller (34) positioned opposite to the high friction roller (52) and also has a drive roller (35) positioned opposite to the low friction roller (54) in the cooperating unit (30). As the document (22) is moved in a first direction in the document track (16), the high friction roller (52) causes the rod (36) to pivot slightly, thereby causing the low friction roller (54) to cant slightly, producing a downward component of force on the document (22) as it is moved in the first direction. When the document (22) is moved in the opposite direction, the low friction roller (54) is canted slightly in the opposite direction to again produce a downward component of force on the document (22) as it is moved in the second direction.

Description: This invention relates to document feeding apparatus. In certain document processing machines, such as encoders and sorters, for processing documents, such as checks and deposit slips, it is important to have the bottom of the document in contact with the bottom of a document track associated with the machine. Keeping the bottom of the document in contact with the bottom of the document track provides the registration necessary to have the document in registration with or aligned with certain document processing elements positioned along the length of the track in operative relationship therewith. Typical document processing elements are MICR readers and encoders or printers, for example. Even though a document is positioned, initially, in proper registration with the document track (with the bottom length of the document in parallel contact with the bottom of the track), the document tends to become misaligned as it is moved in the track in operative relationship with the document processing elements positioned along the length of the track. This problem may be alleviated in machines having unidirectional document transports by having the associated drive and/or idler rollers set at a fixed angle so as to provide a slight downward component of movement towards the bottom of the track as the document is moved along the length of the track. The technique mentioned in the previous paragraph is not suitable when a bi-directional transport is used in the document processing machine. This is because, if the drive and/or idler rollers are set at a fixed angle to provide a downward component when the document is moved in only one direction then when the document is moved in the opposite direction in the document track, the drive and/or idler rollers raise the document away from the bottom of the document track. Document feeding apparatus which alleviates the document registration problem for bi-directional document feeding is known from GB-A-2 171 395. The known apparatus includes downward drive means in the form of a self-castoring idler wheel mounted on a castor arm which is mounted on a castoring bearing adjacent the document track. The idler wheel is urged towards a document drive roller such that, as a document proceeds along the document track the castor arm moves to one or other of two angular extreme positions to register the document with the document track regardless of the direction of movement of the document along the document track. It is an object of the present invention to provide document feeding apparatus of the kind specified which provides a more positive and reliable downward drive force component than is achieved by the known apparatus. Therefore, according to the present invention, there is provided document feeding apparatus of the kind specified, including a document track, feeding means adapted to feed a document bi-directionally along said track, and downward drive means resiliently urged towards said feeding means and adapted to provide a downward component of force towards the bottom of said track as said document is fed in either direction along said track, characterized in that said feeding means includes a drive shaft having a drive roller and an idler roller mounted thereon, said drive roller being adapted to drive said document bi-directionally along said track, and in that said downward drive means includes a support member pivotally mounted in a support, said support member having a first engaging member fixedly mounted thereon and adapted to engage said idler roller, and a second engaging member rotatably mounted thereon and adapted to engage said drive roller, whereby, when said document is fed along said track, said first engaging member causes said support member to pivot such that said second engaging member provides said downward component of force on said document for each direction of document movement along said track. It will be appreciated that in document feeding apparatus according to the invention, the provision of idler and drive rollers and respective first and second engaging members fixedly and rotatably mounted and cooperating with the idler and drive rollers in the manner specified ensures positive, reliable downward drive on a fed document regardless of the direction of document feed. One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a general, schematic view of a document processing machine in which a preferred embodiment of this invention may be used, with the view showing a document track, and document processing elements positioned along the document track; Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram, in cross section, of a portion of document feeding apparatus according to the invention which may be utilized in a document processing machine of the kind shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram, in cross section, of a cooperating unit shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is an exploded, isometric view of a second embodiment of the cooperating unit. Fig. 1 is a general isometric view of a document processing machine (designated generally as machine 10) in which an apparatus 12 made according to this invention may be used. The machine 10 has a frame or chassis 14 with a document track 16 mounted thereon. The document track 16 has first and second side walls 16-1 and 16-2 upstanding from the chassis 14 and also has a track bottom 16-3, shown shematically in Fig. 2. The machine 10 has feed members or pairs of drive rollers (designated generally as 18 in Fig. 1) positioned along the length of the track 16 to cooperate with pairs of idler rollers 20 to move a document 22 in the track in operative relationship with processing elements which are positioned along the length of the track. The processing elements may include, for example, text and graphics printers (designated generally as printers 24 and 26). Additional and different processing elements (not shown) may also be positioned along the track 16 to further process the document 22. The apparatus 12 includes a feed unit 28 an a cooperating unit 30 which cooperates with the feed unit 28 to drive the document 22 therebetween as shown best in Fig. 2. The feed unit includes a drive shaft 32 having a roller 34 rotatably mounted thereon, and it also includes a feed roller or drive roller 35 fixed to the drive shaft 32 to rotate therewith. The drive shaft 32 is rotatably mounted in the chassis 14 and is driven or rotated bi-directionally as will be described hereinafter. The cooperating unit 30 includes a support member or rod 36 which is pivotably mounted between its ends on a pin 38 (Fig. 3) which passes through a collar type support 40. The support 40 may be part of an arm assembly (like 42, shown in Fig. 1) which is rotatably supported on a rod 44 which is upstanding from the chassis 14. The arm assembly 42 is resiliently biased to rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, by a tension spring 46 on the arm 42 so as to bias the arm assembly 42 (which contains the usual pinch rollers 48) into engagement with the associated drive rollers (not shown in Fig. 1 but they are like the pair of drive rollers 18). The arm assembly 42 is not important to an understanding of this invention; however, it is discussed to show how the support 40 may be mounted for supporting the rod 36. The arm assembly 42 may be rotated about the rod 44 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 so as to move the pinch rollers 48 away from the document track 16 to enable a jammed document 22 to be removed therefrom. An arm assembly 50, having the support 40 secured thereto, is used, similarly, to move the cooperating unit 30 away from the document track 16. Continuing with the discussion of the cooperating unit 30, the pin 38 (Fig. 3) is located in the support 40 so that the rod 36 pivots only in a plane which is parallel to the document track 16. The first or upper end of the rod 36 has a first member 52 fixed thereto, and the second or lower end has an idler roller 54 rotatably mounted thereon. The support 40 is generally cylindrical in shape externally, and it has an internal shape which is generally conical. By this design, the rod 36 is limited in its pivoting to a predetermined arc of about 2 degrees on each side of a vertical centerline 56 which is perpendicular to the track bottom 16-3. The internal conical wall 58 of the support 40 performs the limiting mentioned. In the embodiment described, the idler roller 34 (Fig. 2) of the feed unit 28 is considered a low friction drive with very little friction provided by its periphery. The drive roller 35 of the feed unit 28 is considered a high friction drive with its periphery providing a high friction to move the document 22. The first member 52 of the cooperating unit 30 is arcuately shaped or has the shape of a roller and provides a high friction surface when a document 22 is positioned between it and the roller 34. The second member or idler roller 54 of the cooperating unit 30 provides a low friction surface to the document 22 positioned between it and the drive roller 35 of the feed unit 28. The pair of drive rollers 18 (Fig. 1) and the drive shaft 32 are rotated in the same direction by a bi-directional stepper motor 60 and conventional driving elements including a timing belt 62 and suitable idler rollers 64 and 65, for example, which are not important to an understanding of this invention. The stepper motor 60 is controlled by a controller 66 to provide the bi-directional control necessary to move the document 22 bi-directionally within the document track 16 in operative relationship with the printers 24 and 26, for example. The apparatus 12 works as follows. When the document 22 is to be moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, the drive roller 35 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. As the document 22 moves to the right (Fig. 3) between the drive roller 35 of the feed unit 28 and the idler roller 54 of the cooperating unit 30, the first member 52 (high friction) of the cooperating unit 30 (opposite to the roller 34 of the feed unit 28) will cause the rod 36 to pivot about the pin 38 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 3). When so pivoting, the idler roller 54 (low friction) will be canted slightly from the position shown in Fig. 3 to provide a downward component of force which moves the document 22 towards the track bottom 16-3 while the document 22 is moved to the right. When the document 22 is to be moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 3, the rod 36 will pivot in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown to cause the idler roller 54 to be canted, slightly, to provide a downward component of force which moves the document 22 towards the track bottom 16 as the document 22 is moved to the left in the document track 16. Thus, the feed unit 28 of the apparatus 12 is tiltable and functions as a toggle mechanism to move the document 22 towards the track bottom 16-3 regardless of the direction in which the document 22 is fed in the document track 16. The first member 52 may be made of a tough wearing plastic material like Delrin. Even though the first member 52 may wear slightly with the passage of time, any slight flattening of the periphery of the first member 52 is inconsequential because the cooperating unit 30 is resiliently biased towards the feed unit 28 by a spring 68 (Fig. 3) as discussed in relation to the arm assembly 42. Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the cooperating unit which is designated generally as 30-2 and which functions in the same general manner as does cooperating unit 30; however, its construction is somewhat different. In this regard, the cooperating unit 30-2 has a base 70 which has legs 72 depending therefrom to pass through mating holes in a portion 14-1 of the chassis 14. An operating lever 74 is used to secure the base 70 in the appropriate position next to the document track 16; because this aspect is not important to an understanding of this invention, it need not be discussed in any more detail. The cooperating unit 30-2 (Fig. 4) also has a support frame 76 which supports a first member 52-1 and an idler roller 54 which is similar to that shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The support frame 76 is pivotally supported on the base 70 by having a short rod 78 (shown in dashed outline) which fits into a mating opening 80 in the base 70 and also by having an opening 82 in the support frame 76 which mates with a short rod 84 extending from the base 70. The support frame 76 and the base 70 are made of a tough plastic material which can be flexed somewhat, if necessary, to effect the mounting described. The support frame 76 has first and second spaced, parallel extensions 86 and 88 which extend from the support frame 76 as shown in Fig. 4. The first extension 86 has fingers 90 and 92 extending therefrom, and similarly, the second extension 88 has fingers 94 and 96 extending therefrom. Each of the fingers 90, 92, 94, and 96 has a projection, like 98 on finger 96, which extends towards the opposed finger, like 94, to provide a narrow entrance to the spaces between these fingers to retain a support member or pivot shaft 100. The pivot shaft 100 (Fig. 4) is made of plastic material, and it has an "H" configuration 102 on the top end thereof which is press fitted into the central opening 104 of the member 52-1 to secure the member 52-1 on the pivot shaft 100. The pivot shaft 100 has flat areas 106 and 108 on opposed sides thereof, with these sides being almost parallel to each other except for the fact that the top portions, like 106-1 and 108-1, are closer to each other than the associated bottom portions. The bottom end of the pivot shaft 100 has the second roller 54 rotatably mounted thereon. The pivot shaft 100 is mounted on the support frame 76 by pushing the flat areas 106 and 108 of the pivot shaft 100 between the fingers 94 and 96 and between the fingers 90 and 92, with these fingers flexing, slightly, to receive the pivot shaft 100 therebetween. The pivot shaft 100 is restrained from moving in a vertical direction by the "H" configuration 102 and a shoulder 110 on each side of the pivot shaft 100. The distance between the fingers 90 and 92 and between the fingers 94 and 96 is the same; consequently, because the distance between the top portions 106-1 and 108-1 is less than the distance between the bottom portions 106-2 and 108-2 of the flat areas 106 and 108, the top portion of the pivot shaft 100 with the first member 52-1 thereon will pivot in the same manner as the first member 52 shown in Fig. 3. The distance between the fingers 90 and 92 is slightly greater than the distance between the bottom portions 106-2 and 108-2. The cooperating unit 30-2 has a compression spring 112 (shown schematically in Fig. 4) which is positioned between the portion 14-1 of the chassis 14 and the underside of the support frame 76 to pivot the support frame 76 on the short rods 84 and 78 in the direction of arrow 114. When so pivoting, the support frame 76 resiliently biases the first member 52-1 into engagement with the first roller 34 shown in Fig. 1, and resiliently biases the second roller 54 into engagement with the drive roller 35 of the feed unit 28. There is some looseness between the rods 84 and 78 and their associated openings 82 and 80 to enable the member 52-1 and the second roller 54 of the cooperating unit 30-2 to contact the associated rollers 34 and 35 in the feed unit 28. The support frame 76 also has a convex area 116 which abuts against the pivot shaft 100 and also enables the pivot shaft 100 to pivot slightly towards and away from feed unit 12 (Fig. 2) to enable the member 52-1 and the second roller 54 to contact the associated rollers 34 and 35 of the feed unit 28. The pivot shaft 100 pivots about 2 degrees in opposed directions as shown by double arrow 118 for the same purposes discussed in relation to Fig. 3. The materials selected for the member 52-1 and the second roller 54 are the same materials as those used in their counterparts in the feed unit 12 shown in Fig. 2. The support frame 76 may be pivoted in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow 114 to move the cooperating unit 30-2 away from the associated feed unit 28 to clear a document 22 jammed therebetween.

Claims: Document feeding apparatus, including a document track (16), feeding means (28) adapted to feed a document (22) bi-directionally along said track (16), and downward drive means (30,30-2) resiliently urged towards said feeding means (28) and adapted to provide a downward component of force towards the bottom of said track (16) as said document (22) is fed in either direction along said track (16), characterized in that said feeding means (28) includes a drive shaft (32) having a drive roller (35) and an idler roller (34) mounted thereon, said drive roller (35) being adapted to drive said document (22) bi-directionally along said track (16), and in that said downward drive means (30,30-2) includes a support member (36,100) pivotally mounted in a support (40,76), said support member (36,100) having a first engaging member (52,52-1) fixedly mounted thereon and adapted to engage said idler roller (34), and a second engaging member (54,54-1) rotatably mounted thereon and adapted to engage said drive roller (35), whereby, when said document (22) is fed along said track (16), said first engaging member (52,52-1) causes said support member (36,100) to pivot such that said second engaging member (54,54-1) provides said downward component of force on said document (22) for each direction of document movement along said track (16) Document feeding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said drive roller (35) has a periphery having relatively high friction and said idler roller (34) has a periphery having relatively low friction, and in that said first engaging member (52,52-1) has a periphery having a relatively high friction and said second engaging member (54,54-1) has a periphery having a relatively low friction. Document feeding apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said support member (36,100) is constrained to pivot in a plane parallel to the document feeding direction in said track (16). Document feeding apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said support (40) is shaped to provide an arc of movement through which said support member (36) is permitted to move. Document feeding apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that said support (40) has a generally conical internal configuration within which said support member (36) is mounted. Document feeding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said support (76) includes a support frame (76) having first and second extensions (86,88) extending therefrom, said support member (100) being pivotally mounted on said first and second extensions (86,88). Document feeding apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that each of said first and second extensions (86,88) has first and second spaced apart fingers (90,92;94,96) extending therefrom, and in that said support member (100) has first and second flat areas (106,108; 106-1,108-1) positioned between said first and second spaced apart fingers (90,92;94,96) said first and second flat areas (106,108;106-1,108-1) being closer together near said first and second spaced apart fingers (94,96) of said first extension (88) than near said first and second spaced apart fingers (90,92) of said second extension (86), thereby enabling pivoting movement of said support member (100). Document feeding apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that said support frame (76) is pivotally mounted and urged by resilient means (112) towards said feeding means (28). Document feeding apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that said resilient means includes a compression spring (112).

Inventors: HANNA PETER DAVID, KALLIN FREDRIK LARS NILS, MONTAGUE WILLIAM BRUCE, PHILLIPS ROBERT WILLIAM, HANNA, PETER DAVID, KALLIN, FREDRIK LARS NILS, MONTAGUE, WILLIAM BRUCE, PHILLIPS, ROBERT WILLIAM
Applicants: AT & T GLOBAL INF SOLUTION, AT&T GLOBAL INFORMATION SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL INC.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B65H5
IPC codes: B65H5, B65H9