Patent GB-1045039-A (GB)
Title: Document feed apparatus
IPC: G06K13/10
Filed: 1964-10-20
Abstract: 1,045,039. Feeding sheets. FARRINGTON ELECTRONICS Inc. Oct. 20, 1964 [Oct. 21. 1963], No. 42753/64. Heading B6B. Documents 55 are separated from the top of a stack in a tray 56 by a pick-up head 57, moved by the head to a reading station 53, and are then fed forward by rollers to one of two pockets 59, 60. The apparatus is described as applied to automatic character-sensing equipment having a scanning device which includes a sweep mirror 51 and logic circuitry 54. The documents are first curved by the head 57, and fed through a curved throat at the reading station 53. Pile tables.-The tray 56, Figs. 2-4 (not shown), for the documents 55 comprises two spaced base members 71, 72 with vertical sides which can both be adjusted laterally by rack- and-pinion means operable by a knob 81. The tray is raised automatically, under the control of a feeler 131, to keep the top of the stack at a constant height, by means of a motor 97 which drives continuously a clutch and brake assembly 102 which can be coupled to a vertical rack 107 connected to the base of the tray. The tray can fall to its lowest position for stack replenishment, against the action of an air damping assembly 116. The feeler 131, Figs. 4 and 5 (not shown), is secured to a spring- biased shaft 127 having parts thereon which co-operate with a snap-action switch 123 and a solenoid 135. When the loaded tray 56 is raised to operative position by the motor 97 and engages the feeler 131, the switch 123 is closed, and current flows to energize the brake 105 of the motor 97 and stop upward movement of the tray. The solenoid 135 is also energized to rock the shaft 127 still further to lift the feeler 131 away from the top of the stack. Each time a document 55 is separated from the stack and fed past the reading station 53, a signal is generated to de-activate the switch 123 and solenoid 135, allowing the feeler 131 to drop, momentarily, but if the stack height is too low, the clutch 103 of the motor 97 is activated to raise the tray 56. A limit switch 137, Figs. 2 and 4 (not shown), is actuated by the tray 56 when the latter is raised to such an extent that all the documents have been removed, causing the brake 105 of the motor 97 to be applied, and subsequently allowing the tray to fall to its lowermost position. Separators.-The documents 55 are separated sequentially from the tray 56 by a shuttle assembly or pick-up 57, Figs. 2, 4, 6 and 7 (not shown), which sucks up a document and bends it to curved shape, and is moved horizontally on guide rods 181, 182 to feed the document through a curved throat 201 at the reading station 53. The assembly 57 includes a hollow plunger 141 which is connected to a source of suction and spring-urged from a body member 145 into engagement with the document stack, thus obscuring a light source 148 from a photo-cell 149. When the mouth of the plunger 141 is sealed by a document 55, the suction builds up in the air passages in the body 145 to cause the plunger to rise with a document, and in this position the light source now strikes the photo-cell 149, and a spring- urged detent controlled by a solenoid 156 grips the plunger 141. Legs 161, 162 on opposite sides of the body 145, are provided with suction openings on the undersides and are movable downwardly relatively to the body 145, against the action of springs, when a solenoid 174 is activated. The legs 161, 162 are moved down to engage the document 55 when the plunger 141 is fully retracted, and are then returned by their springs so that the document is curved about the bottom face of the assembly (Fig. 7, not shown). The photo-cell 149, solenoids 156, 174, and snap-switch 123 are associated with a control device, Figs. 10, 12 and 13 (not shown), whereby the documentraising operation is controlled. A clutch 297 is now activated to cause the assembly 57 to be moved along the rods 181, 182 by a gear and toothed rack means, against the action of a return spring. The document is placed within the curved throat 201, passing fingers and air blasts which remove any excess documents which may have been carried. Roller feeds.-The separated document 55, deposited by the assembly 57 in the throat 201 at the reading station 53, overlies a stepping roller 216, Figs. 4, 8 and 9 (not shown), and is fed forward in very short steps for scanning purposes when an idler roller 217 is swung to engage the roller 216. The motor driving the roller 216 is started when the document is sensed by a photo-cell 234 in. the throat 201. When the document leaves the throat, the cell 234 causes the feeler 131 to drop on the document stack to initiate the next feed cycle, and to cause idler rollers 369-371 mounted on spring members 374-378 to hold the document in engagement with feed rollers 344-346 and forward it to the accept pocket 59. If a document or a portion thereof could not have been read at the station 53, then a sorting gate solenoid 397 is operated to direct the document into the reject pocket 60. Guides.-Side guides along the document feed path, at the sides of the stacking pockets 59, 60, and the sides of the tray 56 for the stack, are all coupled together by a chain transmission 90, and are operable through rack-and-pinion gearing by rotation of the single knob 81. The documents are guided at the station 53 by the curved throat 201. Controlling devices.-The main control device, Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13 (not shown), includes a series of cams, driven through a onerevolution clutch 249 by a motor 254, and cooperating with electrically-conducting spring arms 266-270. The feed cycle is initiated by a solenoid 241 acting on the clutch 249. This device operates in conjunction with the snapswitch 123, suction supply, photo-cells 149, 234, and the various control solenoids for the document separation and feeding, the raising of the stack tray 56, and the detection of an empty tray. A sorting gate 404 is controlled by the circuitry of the reading station 53 to direct a rejected document into the reject pocket 60. A monitor system near the sorting gate comprises a photo-cell device 407, 409, Fig. 4 (not shown), which depends upon light reflected from a document 55, and causes an alarm to be actuated. Marking documents.-If there is an unreadable character in any one line of a document, that line and succeeding lines may be marked by a pen 327, Fig. 8 (not shown), which is operated by a solenoid 337.