Sheet handling apparatus
First Claim
1. A device for dispensing sheet media comprising:
- storage means for storing sheet media to be dispensed;
receiving means accessible to a patron from which said sheet media may be received;
receptacle means for retaining sheets of said media;
stacking means for stacking individual sheets of said sheet media into a stack;
transport means for transporting sequentially individual sheets from said storage means to said stacking means and for transporting sheets of said media from said receiving means to said receptacle means, said transport means comprised of;
generally planar surface means, andat least three spaced apart, side-by-side, endless drive belts having an outer frictional surface, each of said drive belts having a portion thereof extending along said planar surface means wherein said frictional surfaces of said belts are disposed opposing and generally parallel to said planar surface means, said drive belts operable to drive said sheet media along said planar surface means by frictional engagement between said drive belts and said sheet media;
transfer means for transferring one or more of said sheets from said stacking means to said receiving means; and
,divert means associated with said transport means operable to cause selected sheets transported from said storage means to said stacking means to be diverted to said receptacle means, said stacking means and said divert means forming a portion of said planar surface means.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device for dispensing sheet media comprising a storage location for storing sheet media to be dispensed; a receiving location accessible to a patron from which the sheet media may be received; a receptacle for retaining sheets of the media; a stacking assembly for stacking individual sheets of the sheet media into a stack; a transport assembly for transporting individual sheets from the storage assembly to the stacking assembly and for transporting sheets of the media from the receiving assembly to the receptacle; a transfer assembly for transferring a stack of sheets from the stacking assembly to the receiving location; and, a divert assembly associated with the transport assembly operable to cause sheets transported from the storage location to the stacking assembly to be diverted to the receptacle.
-
Citations
35 Claims
-
1. A device for dispensing sheet media comprising:
-
storage means for storing sheet media to be dispensed; receiving means accessible to a patron from which said sheet media may be received; receptacle means for retaining sheets of said media; stacking means for stacking individual sheets of said sheet media into a stack; transport means for transporting sequentially individual sheets from said storage means to said stacking means and for transporting sheets of said media from said receiving means to said receptacle means, said transport means comprised of; generally planar surface means, and at least three spaced apart, side-by-side, endless drive belts having an outer frictional surface, each of said drive belts having a portion thereof extending along said planar surface means wherein said frictional surfaces of said belts are disposed opposing and generally parallel to said planar surface means, said drive belts operable to drive said sheet media along said planar surface means by frictional engagement between said drive belts and said sheet media; transfer means for transferring one or more of said sheets from said stacking means to said receiving means; and
,divert means associated with said transport means operable to cause selected sheets transported from said storage means to said stacking means to be diverted to said receptacle means, said stacking means and said divert means forming a portion of said planar surface means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A device for dispensing sheet media comprising:
-
storage means for storing sheet media to be dispensed; receiving means accessible to a patron from which said sheet media may be received; receptacle means for retaining sheets of said media; stacking means for stacking individual sheets of said sheet media into a stack, transport means for transporting individual sheets from said storage means to said stacking means and for transporting sheets of said media from said receiving means to said receptacle means; transfer means for transferring a stack of sheets from said stacking means to said receiving means; divert means associated with said transport means operable to cause sheets transported from said storage means to said stacking means to be diverted to said receptacle means; gate means for controlling access to said receiving means; and control means for coordinating and controlling said stacking means and said divert means, said control means including a structural member which is rotatable about a fixed axis which includes cam means operatively engaging said stacking means, said divert means and said gate means.
-
-
8. A device for dispensing sheet media comprising:
-
storage means for storing sheet media to be dispensed; receiving means accessible to a patron from which said sheet media may be received; receptacle means for retaining sheets of said media; stacking means for stacking one or more sheets of said sheet media into a stack, said stacking means comprised of a generally planar member having spaced-apart, side-by-side rails thereon, said planar member being movable between a first position for stacking said sheet media and a second position; transport means for transporting individual sheets from said storage means to said stacking means and for transporting sheets of said media from said receiving means to said receptacle means, said transport means comprised of; generally planar surface means, and at least three spaced-apart, side-by-side, endless drive belts having an outer frictional surface, each of said drive belts having a portion thereof extending along said surface means wherein said frictional surfaces of said belts are disposed opposing and generally parallel to said surface means, said planar member of said stacking means being generally parallel to and spaced from said portion of said drive belts which extend along said surface means when said planar member is in said second position, said rails on said planar member being parallel to and juxtaposed with said belts; transfer means for transferring a stack of sheets from said stacking means to said receiving means; and divert means associated with said transport means operable to cause sheets transported from said storage means to said stacking means to be diverted to said receptacle means. - View Dependent Claims (9)
-
-
10. A device for handling and feeding sheet media comprising:
-
elongated surface means defining a linear path along which said sheets are driven, said surface means including at least two spaced-apart, side-by-side, parallel elongated surfaces, lying in a common plane extending along said linear path; at least three spaced-apart, side-by-side, endless drive belts having an outer frictional surface, each of said drive belts having a portion thereof extending along said surface means wherein said frictional surfaces are disposed opposing and generally parallel to said surface means, said portions of said drive belts being parallel to and juxtaposed with said elongated surfaces to define an undulating passage to confine said sheet between said frictional surfaces of said drive belts and said elongated surfaces; belt drive means for simultaneously driving said belts; and stacking means associated with said drive belts for stacking said sheet media, said stacking means including a plurality of elongated side-by-side parallel surfaces lying in a common plane and being movable between a first location for stacking sheets of said sheet media and a second position wherein said elongated side-by-side parallel surfaces on said stacking means are aligned along said path with said elongated surfaces of said elongated surface means and are co-planar therewith. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
-
-
13. A device for handling and feeding sheet media comprising:
-
elongated surface means defining a linear path along which said sheets are driven, said surface means including at least two spaced-apart, side-by-side, parallel elongated surfaces, lying in a common plane extending along said linear path; at least three spaced-apart, side-by-side, endless drive belts having an outer frictional surface, each of said drive belts having a portion thereof extending along said surface means wherein said frictional surfaces are disposed opposing and generally parallel to said surface means, said portions of said drive belts being parallel to and juxtaposed with said elongated surfaces to define an undulating passage to confine said sheet between said frictional surfaces of said drive belts and said elongated surfaces; belt drive means for simultaneously driving said belts; stacking means associated with said drive belts for stacking said sheet media; divert means associated with said drive belts and said stacking means for selectively diverting sheets from said stacking means; and control means for coordinating movement of said stacking means and said divert means relative to said belts, said control means comprised of a rotatable element movable about a fixed axis having cam surfaces operatively engaging said stacking means and said divert means. - View Dependent Claims (14)
-
-
15. A device as defined in claim 15 further comprising transfer means associated with said belts for moving a stack of sheets from said stacking means to a receiving location.
-
16. A device for handling and feeding sheet material comprising:
-
an elongated, generally flat first surface means defining a path along which said sheet material is driven; at least three spaced-apart, side-by-side, endless drive belts having an outer frictional surface, each of said drive belts having a portion thereof extending along said surface means wherein said frictional surfaces are disposed opposing and generally parallel to said surface means to confine said sheet material between said frictional surface of said drive belts and said surface means; belt drive means for simultaneously driving said belts; stacking means positioned along said path defined by said first surface means in operative relation with said belts for stacking said sheet material into a uniform stack, said stacking means including; a generally planar stacking plate capable of reciprocal movement between a first position for stacking said sheet material and a second position wherein said plate is generally co-planar with said surface means and in operative engagement with said belts; and
,means for aligning one edge of said sheet material into a uniform stack. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
-
-
19. A device for handling and feeding sheet material comprising:
-
an elongated, generally flat first surface means defining a path along which said sheet material is driven; at least three spaced-apart, side-by-side, endless drive belts having an outer frictional surface, each of said drive belts having a portion thereof extending along said surface means wherein said frictional surfaces are disposed opposing and generally parallel to said surface means to confine said sheet material between said frictional surfaces of said drive belts and said surface means; dispensing means for dispensing said sheet material; belt drive means for simultaneously driving said belts; storage means for storing said sheet material to be dispensed; holding means for holding predetermined sheets of said sheet material; diverting means positioned along said path in operative engagement with said belts for diverting said predetermined sheets from said dispensing means to said holding means, said diverting means including a generally planar divert plate having surfaces defining a portion of said path along which said sheets are driven, said plate being capable of reciprocal movement along said path from a first position for dispensing said sheet material to a second position for diverting said predetermined sheets to said holding means.
-
-
20. A device for handling and feeding sheet material comprising:
-
an elongated, generally flat first surface means defining a generally planar, straight path along which said sheet material is driven, transport means to convey sheet material along said path, stacking means located along said path for stacking said sheet material into a uniform stack, said stacking means being operatively disposed along said path and having a stacking surface alignable with said first surface means to form a portion of said path; divert means located along said path for diverting selected sheets away from said stacking means into a receptacle for receiving and holding said selected sheets, said divert means being operatively disposed along said path and including divert surface means aligned with said first surface means to form a portion of said path; dispensing means located at an end of said path for dispensing a stack of one or more of said sheets, said dispensing means including gate means; and transfer means movable along said path for driving a stack of one or more of said sheet material from said stacking means along said first surface means to said dispensing means. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. An apparatus for dispensing sheet media comprising:
-
a housing for containing sheet media to be dispensed; receiving means accessible to a patron from which said sheet media may be received; means for receiving identification information from a patron; means for utilizing said identification information to determine whether said patron has a dispensing authorization status; means for receiving dispensing information from a patron; a computer unit having means for receiving identification information and dispensing information from a patron and for generating output instructional information and control signals in response thereto and; sheet media dispensing means including; at least one sheet media transport comprised of generally planar surface means having at least two side-by-side elongated surfaces which lie in a common plane and which extend parallel to each other, said planar surface means defining a generally linear path; and
,at least three spaced-apart, side-by-side, parallel endless belts having outer frictional surfaces, each of said belts having a portion thereof extending parallel to said elongated surfaces, said belts being juxtaposed and spaced from said elongated surfaces to form an undulated passage therebetween to receive individual sheets of said sheet media; belt drive means responsive to said control signals for moving said belts along said generally planar surface means wherein said belts are operative to drive said sheets along said side-by-side elongated surfaces, and stacking means for stacking said sheet media, and divert means for diverting irregular sheet media from said stacking means, said stacking means and said divert means including movable surface means positionable to form part of said generally planar surface means.
-
-
26. An apparatus for dispensing sheet media comprising:
-
a housing for containing sheet media to be dispensed; receiving means accessible to a patron from which said sheet media may be received; means for receiving identification information from a patron; means for utilizing said identification information to determined whether said patron has a dispensing authorization status; means for receiving dispensing information from a patron; a computer unit having means for receiving identification information and dispensing information from a patron and for generating output instructional information and control signals in response thereto; sheet media dispensing means including; at least one sheet media transport comprised of surface means having at least two side-by-side elongated surfaces which lie in a common plane and which extend parallel to each other to define a generally linear path, at least three spaced-apart, side-by-side, parallel endless belts having outer frictional surfaces, each of said belts having a portion thereof extending parallel to said elongated surfaces, said belts being juxtaposed and spaced from said elongated surfaces to form an undulated passage therebetween to receive individual sheets of said sheet media wherein said belts are operative to drive said sheets along said surfaces; stacking means disposed along said path for stacking said sheet media, said stacking means includes elevated rails having elongated surfaces which are movable between a first position wherein a stack of sheet media may be formed on said elongated surfaces and a second position wherein said elongated surfaces are aligned with said elongated surfaces of said surface means and in operative relationship with said belts; and divert means disposed along said path for diverting irregular sheet media from said stacking means. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A device for dispensing sheet media comprising:
-
storage means for storing said sheet media to be dispensed; elongated surface means defining a generally planar, straight path along which said sheet material is to be driven; access means at one end of said path from which said sheet media may be dispensed as a single sheet or a stack of sheets; means for conveying individually said sheet media from said storage means to said path; stacking means operable to stack individual sheets into a stack of sheets, said stacking means including generally planar stacking surface means movable relative to said path between a first position wherein said stacking surface means is aligned with said elongated surface means and forms a portion of said path and a second position wherein said stacking surface means is displaced from said elongated surface means; divert means for selectively diverting select sheets of said sheet media away from said stacking means, said divert means including generally planar divert surface means which is reciprocally movable along said path and aligned with said elongated surface means forming said path; and
,conveyor belt means adjacent said path, said belt means being in operative relation to said elongated surface means, said stacking surface means and said divert surface means to convey said sheet media by frictional engagement along said elongated surface means and said divert surface means and along said stacking surface means when said stacking surface means is in said first position. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
-
Specification