Patent ID: 7857305

Claim:
A sheet registration and conveyance system for transporting and registering along a transport path said sheets via leading edges of said sheets, said system comprising: an endless movable conveyor belt on pulleys having a sheet entrance at a beginning of said transport path and a sheet exit point at an end of said transport path, at least two gripping segments attached to said conveyor belt, and baffle panels with separations positioned over an upper portion of said conveyor belt, said at least two gripping segments movable toward said sheet exit point through said baffle separations while said at least two gripping segments are attached to said conveyor belt, said gripping segments comprising a gripper bar and a spring loaded pivot arm having an elastomeric roller attached to its inboard terminal portion, said gripper bar and said elastomeric roller configured to securely hold a leading edge of said sheet therebetween and configured to transport said sheet through said transport path from initial leading edge paper contact to said sheet exit point, a curvature of said gripper bar and a spacing provided between said gripper bar and said pivot arm at initial paper contact enable said elastomeric roller to roll over said leading edge, and said system configured at said sheet exit using a curvature of said movable conveyor belt on pulleys to permit said pivot arm with said elastomeric roller to roll off said gripper bars releasing said sheet leading edge and permitting said sheet to exit said system at said exit point.