Patent Publication Number: US-6702148-B1

Title: Paper feed assembly

Description:
The paper feed assembly discussed herein generally relates to an assembly that engages a paper to be printed, feeds the paper to a pre-determined print area, and retracts itself from the paper. More specifically, the paper feed assembly discussed herein performs the foregoing functions with a single driver device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Laser printers, inkjet printers, and point of sale (POS) printers generally require gears, pulleys, rollers, and the like and a combination of motors and solenoid valves (“driver devices”) to engage a paper to be printed, feed the paper to a pre-determined print area, and deliver the printed paper, after it has been printed on, to a tray or a stacking chute. The paper discussed herein, for example, can be a check, a deposit slip, or a withdrawal slip. The use of more than one driver device is generally disadvantage for several reasons including the requirement that the overall printer be sufficiently large to accommodate the additional driver device, the added manufacturing costs for including the additional driver device, the higher power consumption to the end user for running the additional driver device, and having additional moving parts which can fail. 
     POS printers for banking transactions in particular generally require duplicate reports for multiple parties. For example, in a typical banking transaction, a bank may need to print on a deposit slip for its own record and may need to print again on a journal tape or a receipt for a merchant for his or her record. Consequently, available POS printers generally require multiple driver devices for printing on the paper and different set of driver devices for printing on the journal tape. Examples of POS printers with multiple driver devices are described in U.S. Pat Nos. 4,944,620; 5,080,513; 5,294,204; and 5,399,038. The disclosures of these patents, are incorporated herein by reference as it set forth in full. While the POS printers described in these patents are somewhat compact, inexpensive, and highly reliable, they utilize multiple driver devices and may therefore be disadvantageous for the reasons discussed. 
     Referring specifically to the &#39;513 patent, there is shown and described a two-driver device for engaging a paper and feeding the engaged paper to a pre-determined print area. The &#39;513 patent discloses a solenoid 51 which comprises a pinch roller 46 and a feed roller 37. When the solenoid 51 is actuated by the printer circuitry, the actuation moves the pinch roller 46, via a lever 47, and engages the paper between the pinch roller 46 and the feed roller 37. Next, a stepper motor 38 is actuated to turn the feed roller 37. The feed roller, in turn, moves the paper that is engaged between it and the pinch roller 46 in a horizontal direction. The paper is moved to a desired print position for printing by the print head 55. After the paper reaches the desired print position, the pinch roller 46 retracts so that the paper can be advanced by a different drive mechanism in the vertical direction for printing on multiple lines. The solenoid 51 and the stepper motor 38 are two separate driver devices used by the &#39;513 patent to engage the paper and feed the paper. 
     Accordingly, there remains a need for a paper feed assembly which uses a single driver to engage the paper to be printed, feed or move the paper to a certain position such as a print position, and then retract so that the paper can be advanced vertically by a different set of driver devices for printing on multiple lines. In addition, there is also a need for a paper feed assembly which uses a single driver to engage the paper that has been printed on and moves the printed paper into a tray or a holding chute so that the printer is available to perform a new transaction. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a paper feed assembly design that both engages a paper to be printed on and feeds the paper to a pre-determined position with a continuous rotation of a motor. Subsequent to feeding the paper, the paper feed assembly provided is also responsive to a continues reverse motor rotation and retracts from the paper so that the paper may be printed on by a print head or the like. 
     The paper feed assembly according to the present invention comprises a motor, a roller arm, a gear train, and an assembly frame; the roller arm further comprising a drive roller, a driven roller, and a belt interconnecting the two rollers; wherein the motor has a first rotation which corresponds to a first signal input and a second rotation which corresponds to a second signal input; wherein the roller arm has a first travel direction which corresponds to the motor first rotation and a second travel direction which corresponds to the motor second rotation, and wherein the assembly frame is configured for assembling the motor, the roller arm, and the gear train thereon. 
     The paper feed assembly according to the present invention may also be characterized by a cage and mounted to the cage are a roller arm, a motor having a motor rotation, and a gear train for transferring the motor rotation to the roller arm; the roller arm further comprising a drive roller, a driven roller and a belt, and wherein the two rollers and the belt are configured to rotate as a consequence of the motor rotation. 
     The paper feed assembly performs the engaging and feeding function by utilizing friction to rotate the roller arm and after the roller arm engages the paper, utilizing slippage between the roller arm and the roller to feed the paper via the belt or O-ring. 
     The invention also includes a method for utilizing the paper feed assembly. The method comprising integrating the paper feed assembly into a POS printer and then sending signals to the paper feed assembly to engage the paper and to feed the paper. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become appreciated as the same becomes better understood with reference to the specification, claims and appended drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a semi-schematic perspective view of a paper feed assembly provided in accordance with practice of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a semi-schematic perspective view of the paper feed assembly of FIG. 1 from a different perspective; 
     FIG. 3 is a semi-schematic side elevation view of the paper feed assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a semi-schematic top plan view of the paper feed assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a semi-schematic perspective view of a roller arm of FIG. 1 provided in accordance with practice of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a semi-schematic side elevation view of the roller arm of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a semi-schematic top plan view of the roller arm of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 8 is an exemplary exploded view of the paper feed assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 9 is a semi-schematic top plan view of an exemplary roller provided in accordance with practice of the present invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a semi-schematic side elevation view of the roller of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 11 is a semi-schematic perspective view of a conventional POS printer; 
     FIG. 12 is a semi-schematic side elevation view of the printer of FIG. 11 with the cover removed; 
     FIG. 13 is a semi-schematic top plan view of the printer of FIG. 11 with the covered removed; and 
     FIG. 14 is an exemplary circuitry provided in accordance with practice of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of the paper feed assembly in accordance with the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the features and the steps for constructing and using the paper feed assembly of the present invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and structures may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention. Also, as denoted elsewhere herein, like element numbers are intended to indicate like or similar elements or features. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown and described an exemplary paper feed assembly in accordance with practice of the present invention, which is generally designated  10 . The paper feed assembly shown therein comprises a motor  12 , an assembly frame or cage  14 , a gear train  16 , and a roller arm  18 , which are also collectively referred to herein as “components”. 
     The motor  12  shown is a conventional DC motor, which may alternatively be a stepper motor, and comprises a power line  20  connected on one end to the armature (inside of the motor) and on the other end to a Berg connector (not shown) or the like. The Berg connector is attachable to a drive circuit and is capable of receiving signals from the drive circuit and relating the same to the armature. Depending on the signals received from the drive circuit, the motor can be made to rotate in a first direction, a second direction, or not rotate. In an exemplary embodiment, the first direction may generally correspond to a first signal (such as a first polarity), the second direction may generally correspond to a second signal (or a second polarity), and no rotation may generally correspond to no signal. Additionally, the motor may be regulated by varying the voltage applied to the motor  12  to control the speed of the motor rotation. The motor  12  may be mounted on to the cage  14  by conventional means such as by fastening a pair of screws  22  through the back wall  24  of the cage into the motor front flange  25  (FIGS. 3,  4 , and  8 ). 
     The cage  14 , in accordance with practice of the present invention, is constructed from a steel plate such as from stainless steel or black steel with a nickel or a chrome finish. The cage resembles a C-channel (FIG. 3) and, accordingly, comprises a top wall  26 , a bottom wall  28 , and a back wall  24 . The cage  14  may also include other functional surfaces, such as a top mounting surface or flange  30  for mounting an ink overflow reservoir (not shown) and/or cutouts  32 ,  34  (FIGS. 1,  2 , and  4 ) for providing access to the various components mounted therein. As further discussed below, the cutouts  32 ,  34  and other apertures located on the cage  14  can be used to anchor or fix the various components to the cage. In an exemplary embodiment, the cage can be fabricated from 11 gauge to 20 gauge steel, and where necessary, from about ⅛″ to {fraction (3/16)}″ thick plates. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the motor shaft  38  is configured to rotate the roller arm  18 , which is connected to the wormgear shaft  40  via the gear train  16 . The motor shaft  38  and the wormgear shaft  40  (FIG. 8) are orientated 90° from each other. The gear train  16 , which comprises a worm  33  and a wormgear  36 , is therefore selected because it provides the means for connecting nonintersecting shafts  38 ,  40  that are at a 90° angle with respect to each and provides large speed reduction between the input and the output speeds. In other words, the motor shaft rotation can greatly be reduced at the output shaft by the particular selection of the worm  33  and the wormgear  36 . As readily understood, the size and the gear ratio of the gear train  16  depends on the desired motor speed reduction. In an exemplary embodiment, the motor  12  is rated for 7200 rpm. The worm  33  is a single threaded worm and has a velocity ratio of 1:20 with the wormgear. Thus, for every 20 revolutions of the worm (which has the same revolutions as the motor), the wormgear will rotate once. Other gear ratios, gear selections, and motor type and speed can be integrated with the paper feed assembly  10  and are therefore contemplated to fall within the scope of the present invention. 
     The present embodiment contemplates a number of gear train materials including steel and plastic, and (if the shafts are orientated differently, such as parallel to one another) a number of gear types. In an exemplary embodiment, the worm  33  and worm gear  36  are both made from plastic and have hollow cores. The hollow cores allow the worm and the wormgear to be mounted over a sleeve or a shaft. For example, the hollow core on the worm  33  allows it to telescopically and removeably secure to a worm sleeve  42  by its distal end  44  and by a set screw  46 . The wormgear sleeve  42  is removeably attachable to the motor shaft  38  at the proximal end  48  of the sleeve by another set screw  46  (FIG.  8 ). In a similar fashion, the wormgear  36  is configured to telescopically and removeably secure to the wormgear shaft  40  by fastening a set screw  46  to the upper exterior section  52  of the wormgear directly to the wormgear shaft  40 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 5-7, there is shown and described a roller arm  18  and a roller  64  in accordance with practice of the present invention. In an exemplary embodiment, the roller arm  18  is made from plastic injection molding or equivalent methods. The roller arm  18  generally comprises an upper roller arm half  54  and an almost identical lower roller arm half  56 . Both are almost identical in that they both comprise union members  58 ,  59  and a pair of roller seats  60 ,  61 . On each seat  60  or  61 , there is also a short stem  62 . As further discussed below, when the upper and the lower arm halves  54 ,  56  are joined or mated in the fashion shown in FIGS. 5-7, the short stems  62  from each of the upper and the lower arm halves  54 ,  56  interact to provide an axis of rotation. The roller  64 , which has an annular bore and is adapted to receive the conjoining stems  62 , rotates about the axis provided by the conjoining stems. In an exemplary embodiment, the conjoining stems  62  do not contact when the upper and the lower arm halves  54 ,  56  are joined together. However, the stems may easily be modified to do so. Although the roller arm  18  is shown with one roller  64 , it is understood that the invention is preferably practiced with two rollers. The second roller, as further discussed below in connection with FIGS. 9 and 10, is mountable to the roller arm  18  in a slightly modified fashion as compared to the first roller  64 . Thus, the short stems  62  shown on the seats  61  are shown to describe the way the first roller  64  is assembled only and not necessarily the way the second roller is assembled. 
     As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 7, the mid-section of the upper roller arm half  54  comprises a well  66  and an aperture  68  centrally located thereon. The aperture  68  defines a passage that extends from the surface of the well  66  to the surface of the union member  58 . Thus, when the two roller arm halves  54 ,  56  are mated as shown in FIGS. 5-7, the two passages from the two roller arm halves  54 ,  56  align to provide a passage which extends from the well  66  of one arm half  54  to the well  66  of the other arm half  56 . This passage in turn enables a rivet or a fastener  72  to be used to secure the two arm halves  54 ,  56  together. Alternatively, the present embodiment contemplates using plastic welding or glue to join the two halves together. If so, the aperture  68  and the passage may be eliminated altogether. 
     Referring again to FIG. 7, at the well  66 , there is shown and described a pair of alignment bosses  74 . The alignment bosses  74  are formed on the upper surface of the union member  59  of the lower roller arm half  56 . In a corresponding location, a pair of holes  78  are provided in the union member  58  of the upper roller arm half  54 . The union between the alignment bosses  74  and the pair of holes  78  facilitate the alignment of the upper and the lower arm halves  54 ,  56 . The two roller arm halves  54 ,  56  are therefore understood to be fastened together by a fastener or a rivet  72  only after the alignment between the alignment bosses and the pair of holes  78  has been performed. It is further understood that other alignment methods may be implemented with the present embodiment including providing a single alignment boss, a combination of an alignment boss and a detent engagement at the perimeter of the two arms, etc. 
     Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown an exemplary exploded view of the paper feed assembly  10  in accordance with practice of the present invention. For purposes of clarity, the wormgear  36 , wormgear shaft  40  and related components are shown relocated adjacent the cage  14 . As shown in FIG. 8, the shaft  40  comprises an upper gear section  50  and a lower roller section  51 . Disposed in between the two sections  50 ,  51  is a clip race  53 , and on either side of the clip race are dimples  55 , which may alternatively be tapped holes for receiving set screws. The upper gear section  50  is configured to receive the wormgear  36  and the lower roller section  51  is configured to receive the roller arm  18 . Both the wormgear  36  and the roller arm  18  (more specifically, the roller  76  on the roller arm) are secured to the wormgear shaft  40  by set screws  46 , which are configured to seat against the dimples  55 . Further disclosure regarding how the roller arm  18  fastens to the wormgear shaft  40  is discussed below in connection with FIGS. 9 and 10. 
     Once the wormgear  36  and the roller arm  18  are fastened to the shaft, there is a gap between the gear top surface  37  and the roller arm surface  19  of the upper roller arm half  54  (FIGS.  1  and  3 ). In an exemplary embodiment, this gap is taken up by a flat washer  23  by sliding the washer onto the wormgear shaft  40  before either one of the wormgear  36  or the roller arm  18  is secured to the shaft. In an exemplary embodiment, the gap is further taken up by a spring clip or a spring washer  29 . The spring clip  29  is configured to removeably slide into the clip race  53  located on the wormgear shaft  40 . Once slidingly engaged thereon, the spring clip  29  exerts a resilient force on the washer  23  which in turn exerts a force on the roller arm surface  19  (as best seen in FIG.  1 ). 
     Still referring to FIG. 8, the cage  14  shown comprises a bearing receptacle  11  located on each of the top wall  26  and the bottom wall  28 . The bearing receptacle  11  resembles a circular aperture with a tear drop  13   a  formed along the circumference of the circular aperture. In an exemplary embodiment, the bearing receptacles  11  are configured to receive a pair of bearings  15  that are located on each end of the wormgear shaft  40 . The interactions between the receptacles  11  and the bearings  15  are means by which the wormgear shaft  40  is secured to the cage  14  and rotate. Each bearing  15  comprises an upper bearing part  17 , which resembles a male counterpart of the receptacle  11 , and a lower bearing part  21 , which resembles a flat washer. The bearings  15  can be manufactured from a number of materials including metal and plastic. In an exemplary embodiment, the bearings  15  are made from plastic injection molding. 
     The various, components are preferably installed in the following manner: First, the motor is mounted to the cage. Next, the worm sleeve  42  is mounted to the motor shaft  38  and the worm  34  to the worm sleeve  42 . The wormgear train is then installed by first assembling the upper and lower bearings  15  onto the cage  14  by inserting them into the receptacles  11  and aligning the tear drops  13   a ,  13   b . Next, the shaft  40  is inserted in through the upper bearing  15  and the upper receptacle  11  while concurrently holding the wormgear  36  in line with the shaft  40 . The shaft  40  then is inserted through the hollow core of the wormgear  36  and then through the washer  23 . In the same manner, the shaft  40  is inserted through the roller arm  18  (via the roller  76  annular bore and the drive bore  90 , as further discussed below), the lower bearing  15 , and lower receptacle  11 . The spring clip  29  is then inserted into the clip race  53  located on the wormgear shaft  40 . Finally, a pair of set screws  46  are used to tighten the wormgear  36  and the drive roller  76  (further discussed below) against the dimples  55  located on the shaft. Once tightened by the set screws  46 , the wormgear  36 , the drive roller  76 , and the shaft  40  may rotate together as a single unit. It will be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art that the order of assembly discussed can vary and still produce the same outcome. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is shown and described a roller  76  in accordance with practice of the present invention. In an exemplary embodiment, the roller is made from a metal such as brass, copper, bronze, or an alloy. The roller  76  is identical to the roller  64  discussed with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 with one exception, it has a threaded bore as compared to the roller  64  previously discussed. For identification purposes, the present roller will be referred to as the drive roller  76  and the roller  64  previously discussed the driven roller. The drive roller  76  comprises a threaded bore  80  located on the roller race  82  and extends from the center groove  84  on the roller race to the annular bore  86 . The driver roller  76  also has an upper roller surface  81  and a lower roller surface  83 . In an exemplary embodiment, the roller has a 0.41 inch outside diameter, a 0.187 inch annular bore, and a roller race with a radius of 0.035 inch. However, depending on the environment and the space in which the paper feed assembly  10  will operate in, different dimensions may be used. The center groove  84  is configured to receive a standard O-ring or belt  43 , such as one made from neoprene, polyurethane, or ethylene propylene. 
     As previously alluded to, the drive roller  76  and the driven roller  64  is also different in the way each is mounted to the roller arm  18 . In an exemplary embodiment, the driven roller  64  is rotatably mounted to the roller arm  18  and is rotatable about the axis of rotation formed by the conjoining short stems  62 , as previously discussed. However, the drive roller  76 , does not rotate about the axis formed by the conjoining short stems  62 . Instead, the drive roller  76  is removeably secured to the wormgear shaft  40  by a set screw  46  and is rotatable with the wormgear shaft  40  by the securement of the set screw  46 . 
     Referring again to FIGS. 6 and 7 in addition to FIGS. 8-10, the roller seats  61  on the drive end  88  of the roller arm  18 , which is the left end of the roller arm  18  when viewed from the perspective of FIG. 7, are preferably flat. That is, there are no short stems  62  on any of the roller seats  61  on the drive end  88 , only on the driven end  87 . Thus, when the drive roller  76  is installed in the roller arm  18 , the drive roller simply seats between the two roller seats  61  without the short stems  62 . In addition, the drive end  88  comprises a drive bore  90  disposed on each of the upper and the lower roller arm halves  54 ,  56 . Thus, when the drive roller  76  is slid in between the seats  61  (FIG. 6) and the annular bore  86  on the roller is aligned with the drive bore  90 , there is a passage which is configured to receive the wormgear shaft  40 . 
     With specific reference to FIG. 8, after the drive roller  76  is positioned between the seats  61  located on the roller arm  18  and the bores  86 ,  90  are aligned, the wormgear shaft  40  is then placed through the aligned bores. The drive roller  76  may then be removeably secured to the shaft by tightening a set screw  46  through the threaded bore  80  located in the roller race. It is understood that the O-ring must be placed over the drive roller  76  and the wormgear  40  passed therebetween before the wormgear shaft is positioned onto the cage. Also, as discussed with reference to FIG.  8  and to the way the components are assembled to the cage  14 , the drive roller  76  is preferably not fastened to the shaft  40  until after the assembly of the wormgear train to the cage. 
     An exemplary operation of the paper feed assembly within a POS printer is now discussed with reference to FIGS. 11-14. However, before discussing the operation of the paper feed assembly  10  within this exemplary environment, its general operation will be discussed separate from the exemplary environment. 
     The general operation of the paper feed assembly  10  is best understood by referring again to FIGS. 1-4. The paper feed assembly generally has two positions, an engaged position and a retracted position. When there is no paper to engage or feed, the roller arm  18  normally sits in a retracted position. Conversely, when there is paper to engage or feed, the roller arm sits in an engaged position, which is the position the roller arm  18  contacts another surface, such as the surface  92  shown in FIG.  4 . In the position shown in FIG. 4, the roller arm  10  is rotated so that the O-ring  43  touches the wall  92  at contact point  94 . This engaged position is also represented by the centerline (CL) shown of the two axes of rotation being in the perpendicular position and touching the wall  92 . The wall  92  shown in FIG. 4 is representative of a portion of a chute or a print guide on the POS printer in which a form, a check, or a deposit slip  93  may be positioned against for printing. The retracted position is a position, which may be characterized by the roller arm  18  being spaced apart from the contact surface. In FIG. 4, the retracted position can be a position wherein the centerline (CL) of the roller arm  18  is moved toward approximately the region designated as A or as B away from the wall  92 . 
     The way in which the paper  93  is engaged and is fed or moved to a ready position such as a print position will now be discussed. Assuming that the roller arm  18  is originally in a retracted position somewhere near region A, once the paper  93  is placed into a print chute and against the wall  92 , the roller arm  18  moves to engage the paper. This engagement is performed by energizing the motor  12  with a first signal sent from a drive circuit. This first signal causes the motor shaft  38  and the worm  33  to rotate in a first rotation. The worm  33  then causes the wormgear  36  to turn. Because the wormgear  36  is connected to the wormgear shaft  40  which is connected to the drive roller  76 , the drive roller and the wormgear shaft also rotate in the first rotation. 
     As the drive roller  76  rotates in the first rotation, the friction between (1) the upper roller arm half  54  and the upper roller surface  81  and (2) the lower roller arm half  56  and the lower roller surface  83  causes the roller arm  18  to turn with the drive roller. The roller arm  18  turns until it contacts the wall  92  (FIG. 4) and engages the paper  93  with the O-ring  43 . At this point, the roller arm  18  is prevented from further rotating due to the contact with the wall  92  by the O-ring or belt  43 . The O-ring  43  therefore cushions the roller  64  and grips the paper  93 . 
     Although the roller arm  18  is prevented from further rotating, the drive roller  76  continues to rotate due to the rotation of the wormgear shaft  40 , the worm  33 , and the motor shaft  38 , which continue to rotate in response to the first signal from the drive circuit. Because of the continued rotation, the friction between (1) the upper roller arm half  54  and the upper roller surface  81  and (2) the lower roller arm half  56  and the lower roller surface  83  is overcome. In other words, shortly after the contact between the O-ring  43 , the paper  93 , and the wall  92 , the drive roller  76  continues to rotate independent of the roller arm  18  due to a slippage between the drive roller  76  and the roller arm. This continued rotation causes the attached O-ring  43  to turn because of its contact with the drive roller  76 . The O-ring  43  then transfers its rotational energy to the driven roller  64  and causes the driven roller  64  to also rotate. 
     The turning O-ring  43 , which is in contact with the paper  93 , causes the paper to move in response to the O-ring. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the paper moves from the region A towards the region B. The paper  93  continues to feed until the motor  12  is de-energized and stops turning. If, for example, the paper feed assembly  10  is part of a POS printer, the paper  93  would be allowed to move or feed until it reaches a desired position such as a print position. 
     The roller arm  18  can now move to its retracted position located somewhere near region A, i.e., its starting position. This may be performed by sending a second signal to the motor  12 . This second signal causes the motor to turn in a second rotation, which is preferably opposite the first rotation, in the manner previously discussed. After the roller arm  18  moves to the retracted position, such as somewhere near region A, the motor  12  is de-energized and the roller arm  18  is allowed to stop. 
     The process can be repeated by sending a third signal, which may be the same as the first signal or a new signal. For instance, after the paper  93  has been printed on, the roller arm  18  can again engage the paper and can feed the paper further in the direction of region B. This may be implemented to feed or advance the printed paper from the print area so that the POS printer is available for a new transaction. It is understood that if the original retracted position is somewhere near region B, then the process and the rotation are reversed. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 11-14, there is shown an exemplary use or environment for the paper feed assembly  10  in accordance with practice of the present invention. The exemplary environment shown is a POS printer  100  for banking transactions. FIG. 11 depicts the POS printer with its cover  102  in place, a paper  93  positioned within a print chute  104 , and a journal tape  106  loaded onto a tape post  108 . FIGS. 12 and 13 depict the same POS printer with the cover  102  removed and with the paper feed assembly  10  installed. The POS printer  100  shown in FIGS. 11-13 is similar to the POS printers described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,944,620; 5,080,513; 5,294,204; and 5,399,038. The disclosures of these patents are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     Broadly speaking, the POS printer  100  is configured to print on both a paper  93  and/or a journal tape  106 . To integrate the paper feed assembly  10  into the POS printer  100 , the printer microprocessor  116  (FIG. 14) is programmed and is configured with a drive circuit  118  in the fashion discussed in the &#39;620 patent, the &#39;513 patent, and the &#39;038 patent. This circuitry comprises logic which sends commands to the motor  12  to rotate which in turn causes the roller arm  18  to engage the paper  93  after the printer senses that there is paper in the chute  104 . The logic may also include sequence, which tells the motor to continue turning until the paper is moved or fed into a print position and then retract the roller arm  18  after the paper has moved. In addition, the drive circuit  118  can be programmed to re-engage and move the paper  93  after the paper has been printed on so that the POS printer may be available for a new transaction. 
     It is understood that the printer  100  should be modified in a conventional manner to accept the paper feed assembly  10 . This may simply be done by removing the two-driver device system and replacing it with the paper feed assembly  10 . If needed, the printer  100  should further be modified so that the cage  14  on the paper feed assembly  10  can be secured onto the printer by fastening a pair of screws or fasteners to secure the cage to the printer. 
     With reference to FIGS. 12-14, the paper feed assembly  10  may be implemented to engage and feed the paper  93  by first inserting the paper into the print chute  104 . A first sensor  110  (FIG. 13) detects the presence of the paper  93  which in turn prompts the printer microprocessor  116  to signal the drive circuit  118  to energize the paper feed assembly motor  12  (FIG.  14 ). As discussed above, the roller arm  18  turns in a first direction in response to the motor rotation and engages the paper  93  and feeds the paper to a pre-determined print position. This print position may, for example, be a position wherein the edge of the form is moved or fed just past the first sensor  110  to a print location  112  that is located adjacent the first sensor (FIG.  13 ). As readily understood, the print location  112  ensures that the form may be printed on by a print head  114  at or approximately the same position from one form to the next form. In other words, the same print position  112  facilitates print repeatability. Once the edge of the form  93  reaches the print location  112 , a second signal may be sent from the drive circuit  118  to rotate the motor  10  in a second rotation. As previously discussed, this second rotation causes the roller arm  18  to retract. 
     The form  93  may now be printed on by the print head  114 . After the form  93  has been printed on, a third signal may be sent from the drive circuit  118  to activate the paper feed assembly  10  to re-engage the printed form. This third signal may, for example, be used to move the form  93  past a second sensor  116  and into a basket (not shown) located adjacent the exit edge  118 . When the paper  93  moves past the second sensor  116 , this can prompt the drive circuit to send a fourth signal to retract the roller arm  18  to free up the chute  104  for a new form or for printing the same information on the journal tape  106 . 
     Similar to the wall or print guide  92  previously discussed with reference to FIG. 4, the wall which provides the restraining or limiting function when the roller arm  18  engages the paper  93  is restraining wall or fence  120 . This restraining wall  120  can have a variety of shape and can be made from a wide variety of materials, including hard plastic and metal and is conventional in the art. 
     Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described with some specificity, the description and drawings set forth herein are not intended to be delimiting, and persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various modifications may be made to the embodiments discussed herein without departing from the scope of the invention, and all such changes and modifications are intended to be encompassed within the appended claims. Various changes to paper feed assembly may be made including manufacturing the dimensions differently, using different materials, adding or changing the way the friction between the drive roller and the roller arm is generated, changing the way the two roller arm halves are assembled, changing from one to more than one tear drops on the receptacles and the bearings, and changing the working environment to a versatel machine for accepting deposits or for dispensing cash or for receiving cash or checks in a cash register. Accordingly, many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention.