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Paper sheet feeding apparatus

  • US 5,143,365 A
  • Filed: 01/02/1991
  • Issued: 09/01/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1989
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for serially feeding sheets in a forward direction from the bottom of a generally vertical stack of such sheets and comprising:

  • a frame,means mounted to said frame for supporting the generally vertical stack of sheets and so that the stack defines a forward side composed of aligned forward edges of the sheets, and a bottom, said supporting means including endless belt means and means rotatably mounting said endless belt means so as to have an upper run positioned to extend across the bottom of said stack;

    drive means for rotating said endless belt means so that said upper run moves in the forward direction;

    a gate forming member positioned above said upper run of said belt means and adjacent the forward side of said stack and so as to define a nip which forms a gap between said gate forming member and said upper run for permitting the lowermost sheet of the stack to pass forwardly from the stack through said nip, said gate forming member comprising a generally cylindrical roll defining a central axis and an outer peripheral surface which is concentric to said central axis, said outer peripheral surface having a groove extending axially along the length thereof and which is positioned so as to generally oppose said nip, with said groove defining opposing parallel side walls and a bottom wall, and a bar disposed in said groove, with said bar being composed of a material having a higher coefficient of friction than the material of said roll and including parallel opposite side edges and being sized so that the opposite side edges are pressed into engagement with said opposing side walls of said groove and a portion of said bar extends beyond said peripheral surface of said nip, and means adjustably mounting said gate forming member to said frame so as to permit the dimension of said nip to be adjusted, and whereby the gate forming member may be adjustably positioned so that the lowermost sheet is free to pass through said nip without significant engagement with said bar and thus without significant frictional resistance while the sheet immediately above the lowermost sheet engages said bar and is frictionally engaged thereby.

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