Lexmark International, Inc.

Daniel Joseph Westhoff

Michael Craig Leemhuis

Michael Kurt Gordon

Jeffrey Allen Ardery

David Emerson Greer

Daniel Paul Cahill

Steven A Silverstein

Stacey Vaughan Mitchell

Edward William Yohon, Jr

Gordon Robert Dunning

A paper feed assembly for a printer including a media tray for a stack of sheets of media to be fed, a pick mechanism capable of pivoting including one or more picking devices in contact with said media. The pick mechanism includes a media contact member which is capable of moving the pick mechanism upon contact with advancing media to eliminate contact with the media stack.

Paper feed assembly

A media alignment mechanism of a printer having duplex capabilities has two spaced elements () defining a predetermined return feed path. Two reference edge segments () are disposed between the spaced elements and separated from each other in the direction of advancement of each sheet of media. The spaced elements have non-linear portions extending between the two separated reference edge segments and shaped to break the beam of the sheet of media. This allows a side surface () of each sheet of media to simultaneously engage each of the two separated reference edge segments even though the first reference edge segment is at angle to the second reference edge segment to prevent the leading edge of the sheet of media from engaging the entry end () of the second reference segment, which provides the desired alignment of the sheet of media for its return to the printer for printing on its second side.

Media alignment mechanism

Sheets ( ) exit printer ( ) into finisher ( ) where they are moved against perpendicular reference walls ( ) by frictional fingers ( ). The fingers are rotated away while a sheet is moved downward. Since the fingers are near their reference surface, buckling of the sheets normally does not occur, so the sheet stays in place. In an embodiment, the fingers move with a resilient force selected to be low enough so that the fingers stop when the sheet contacts the reference wall.

Finisher with frictional sheet mover

A pivotally mounted bail actuator is pivotally moved from its home position to an elevated position by the leading edge of a sheet of paper exiting from sheet path exit rollers of a printer. The pivotally mounted bail actuator has a wire bail extending for more than half of the sheet width. When the sheet exits from the sheet path exit rollers, both the pivotally mounted bail actuator and the sheet simultaneously fall by gravity, and the wire bail contacts the sheet to remove any longitudinal beam and to create a lateral beam extending the width of the sheet. A rear portion of the sheet falls onto an upper support surface with most of the sheet falling onto a lower support surface. If the sheet does not have a longitudinal beam, a lateral beam is created by the height difference of the two support surfaces on which the sheet is supported. The sheet is aligned on the upper support surface.

Sheet beam breaker

An apparatus for corrugating material includes an upper shaft rotating about a first longitudinal axis and a lower shaft rotating about a second longitudinal axis. Either the upper shaft, the lower shaft, or both shafts are constructed of a flexible material. At least one upper corrugation roll is secured to the upper shaft, and at least one lower corrugation roll is secured to the lower shaft. The upper corrugation roll and the lower corrugation roll are interspersed relative to each other and spaced such that the material is fed between the upper and the lower corrugation roll to corrugate the material. Materials of varying rigidities may be passed between the upper and lower corrugation rolls such that lighter weight material is corrugated while heavier weight material deflects the flexible shaft(s) to reduce corrugation.

Apparatus for corrugating materials

An apparatus for straightening material includes a first guide surface and a second guide surface spaced from the first guide surface. As the material is passed along the first guide surface and along the second guide surface, the first guide surface induces a first curl in the material and the second guide surface induces a second curl in the material. The amount of the first curl may be in proportion to the rigidity of the material to be straightened, and the direction of the first curl may be opposite to that of the second curl.

Apparatus for curling materials

Duplex attachment for a printer

Lower, arced decurling guide (1) is pivoted on pin (3) and biased upward by spring (7). Upper stop (11) prevents the lower guide from moving closer to upper decurling roller (15). Paper (9) is guided between these upper and lower guides and the lower guide is moved outward in proportion to the rigidity of the paper being decurled. This automatic adjustment provides good decurling for all papers within a broad range of rigidity.

Growing community of inventors

Georgetown, KY, United States of America

Daniel Joseph Westhoff