Article transport for printers

• US 4,620,807 A
• Filed: 09/23/1985
• Issued: 11/04/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Videojet Systems International Incorporated Elk Grove Village Illinois
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Polit, Neil A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burr, Edgar S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wiecking, David A.
• Application Number:
  US06/779,327
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 400/23, 400/27, 400/55, 400/56, 400/57, 400/58, 400/59, 400/60, 400/352, 400/355, 400/356, 400/649, 400/656, 400/264, 101/232, 101/407 BP, 198/592, 271/34, 271/273, 271/274
• US Class Current: 400/56
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/20 Platen adjustments for varying the strength of impression, for a varying number of papers, for wear or for alignment , or for print gap adjustment

Abstract

A self-leveling tranpsort for addressing envelopes in cooperation with a printer having a first link on each side of the transport, with transport drive and idler roller shafts journaled at the opposite ends, an endless transport belt stretched across the drive and idler rollers, a second link pivotally attached to each first link through the idler roller shaft, the second links being pivotally attached to the printer frame at the second links other end, a third cross link pivotally attached to each second link between the link ends, the second links having a slide block with oversized aperture at the opposite end through which the drive roller shaft fits, the slide blocks being slidable vertically up and down with springs to bias the slide blocks and the transport upwardly so that when the thickness of the articles increase, the first, second, and third links respond to draw the transport down while retaining the transport level.

Claims

1. An article transport for bringing articles to be addressed into operative relation with the print head of a printer which accommodates changes in article thickness while remaining level comprising, in combination:

(a) a first pair of links forming opposite sides of said transport;

(b) drive and idler shafts journaled between said links adjacent each end of said links, said drive and idler shafts each supporting at least one roller;

(c) an endless article transport belt stretched about said rollers;

(d) a second link rotatably journaled with each of said first links adjacent one end through one of said drive and idler shafts, said second links extending downwardly with the opposite end pivotally attached to said printer whereby to form a first pivotal support for said transport in said printer;

(e) a third link attached by one end with each one of said second links, the opposite ends of said third links being enlarged and receiving the other of said drive and idler shafts therethrough whereby said third links are pivotally attached to the opposite end of said first links;

(f) slide blocks supporting the opposite ends of said third links on said printer for vertical up and down movement whereby to form a vertically displaceable second support for said transport in said printer; and

(g) spring means biasing said slide blocks and the opposite ends of said third links upwardly to cause said belt in cooperation with an adjoining roll to form a resilient nip through which said articles pass;

whereby on entry of an article having a different thickness into said nip, the nip changes size while said first, second, and third links cooperate to change the height of said transport in response to the change in nip size while maintaining said transport level.

2. A printing apparatus including reciprocably movable printing means for printing addresses on individual media, an article transport for bringing media to be addressed into printing relation with said printing means while forming a platen opposite said printing means for supporting the media during printing by said printing means, in which said article transport comprises in combination:

(a) a pair of side links forming the opposing sides of said transport and extending in the direction of media movement;

(b) a first shaft journaled for rotation between said side links adjacent one end of said side link;

(c) first belt supporting roller means on said first shaft;

(d) a second shaft journaled for rotation between said side links adjacent the other end of said side links;

(e) second belt supporting roller means on said second shaft;

(f) an endless media transport belt around said first and second belt supporting roller means;

(g) roller means cooperating with said belt to form a nip between which said media passes while being transported by said belt;

(h) a downwardly extending support link pivotally attached to said side links through said second shaft;

(i) first pivot means for pivotally attaching the opposite end of each of said support links to said printer;

(j) a pair of cross links;

(k) second pivot means for pivotally attaching each of said support links to one of said cross links at one end of said cross links;

(l) the opposite end of each of said cross links being rotatably journaled in a slide block, said slide blocks having an enlarged aperture therethrough for receiving said first shaft to thereby couple said side links with said cross links through said first shaft;

(m) track means for slidably supporting said slide blocks for vertical up and down movement; and

(n) bias means biasing said slide blocks upwardly whereby to bias said nip through said slide blocks, first shaft, first belt supporting roller means and belt toward a closed position so that on a change in the thickness of said media, the media entering said nip forces said transport belt, first belt supporting means, first shaft, and slide blocks downwardly in said tracks means against said bias means so that said cross links work through said second pivot means to pivot said support links through said first pivot means with resultant combined pivoting and lateral movement of said side links so that said transport moves uniformly downwardly while remaining level in support of the media being addressed.