FORAMINOUS SHEET REGISTRATION SYSTEM

• US 3,845,951 A
• Filed: 06/05/1973
• Issued: 11/05/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ralph A. Hamaker
• Original Assignee: Ralph A. Hamaker
• Inventors: Hamaker, Ralph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schacher, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stoner, Jr., Bruce H.
• Application Number:
  US05/367,280
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 271/53,60,51,172,196,197,243
• US Class Current: 271/243
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/226 by suction rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 9/06 Movable stops or gauges, e.g. rising and falling front stops B65H11/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/1685 Structure, details of the transfer member, e.g. chemical composition

Abstract

A sheet registration system for registering the leading edge of a sheet being fed through the nip between a sheet feeding roller and an opposing surface including a sheet feeding roller of foraminous material having a sheet registration lip which is temporarily resiliently suppressed in the nip by compression into the foraminous material to provide a continuous uniform nip engagement between the roller and the opposing surface. A vacuum can be applied through the foraminous material to hold the sheet against the roller and registration lip.

Claims

1. A sheet registration system comprising:

a sheet feeding roller having a thick layer of compressible foraminous material and a generally smooth outer sheet feeding surface;

at least one sheet registration lip comprising a sheet edge detaining discontinuity in said outer surface of said roller;

an opposing sheet feeding surface against which said foraminous material layer is compressed with moderate pressure to provide a sheet feeding nip therebetween; and

drive means providing sheet feeding movement of said outer surface of said roller and said registration lip through said nip, said registration lip being temporarily resiliently suppressed by compression into said foraminous material layer smoothly and evenly with said outer surface of said roller in passing through said nip, and said roller providing continuous even contact between said outer surface thereof, including said registration lip, and said opposing surface in said nip, wherein said registration lip is monolithically formed from said same foraminous material.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the thickness of said foraminous layer is substantially greater than the dimensions of said registration lip discontinuity.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said roller is generally cylindrical and has an axis of rotation and said registration lip comprises an integral rib extending radially above and axially along said roller outer surface parallel to said axis of rotation.

4. The system of claim 1 further including sheet feeding means for feeding a sheet into buckling engagement with said registRation lip while said registration lip is substantially spaced from said nip.

5. The system of claim 1 further including vacuum means applying a sheet retaining vacuum to said outer sheet feeding surface of said roller through said foraminous material.

6. The system of claim 1 further including vacuum cleaning means deformably engaging the outer surface of said roller.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said roller is generally cylindrical and has an axis of rotation and said registration lip comprises an integral rib extending radially above and axially along said roller outer surface parallel to said axis of rotation, and wherein the thickness of said foraminous layer is substantially greater than the dimensions of said registration lip discontinuity.