Xerox Corporation

John E Forward

William E Kramer

Barry Paul Mandel

Richard E Smith

William R Burger

Terrence D Charland

Douglas P Connolly

Donald A Robertson

Michael J Tracy

Raymond C Coleman

George A Muller

Frank Hacknauer

Marie E Walker

In a sorter for sorting sheets fed from a sequential source of sheets, with a closely vertically spaced array of sorter bins, and apparatus to vertically move the array of sorter bins relative to the source of sheets for sequentially loading individual sheets into individual sorter bins, the improvement including partially horizontally displacing one individual sorter bin at a time from the superposed array, in coordination with the vertical movement, towards the source of sheets to provide an enlarged bin entry opening without requiring any change in the vertical spacing between the bins, and subsequently horizontally moving a bin so displaced back into vertically superposed alignment with the other bins of the array. Also disclosed is stapling sheets sorted into the bins, wherein the same system for partially horizontally displacing the sorter bins also functions to move one displaced bin at a time into the stapler for stapling the sheets sorted in that bin without removal therefrom. The system for partially horizontally displacing the sorter bins may utilize individual pins connecting with respective individual sorter bins in a substantially vertically aligned array and an open jaw actuating system through which the array of pins is movable, which open jaw is adapted to engage and horizontally move a selected pin therein. An alternative cam track system with a horizontal displacement transition therein is also disclosed for this function.

Sorter/stapler with horizontal bin opening

A roll-up apparatus is provided for automatically rolling up a plurality of media sheets, such as original documents being copied or output copy sheets. In one embodiment, a plurality of flexible, circular guide members are aligned perpendicular to the media sheet feed motion. The first and succeeding sheets are scrolled up within the circular interior space formed by the guide member. The guides are designed to expand radially outward along their width to accomodate the increasing area of successively rolled up media sheets.

Apparatus for automatically rolling up media sheets

A document imaging system incorporates a mechanism for adjusting the speed ratio between the document scanning system and the photoreceptor. A timing belt is connected between an adjustable tapered portion of a drive pulley mounted on the photoreceptor drive shaft and the document scanning system. The portion of the tapered surface on which the belt is frictionally is axially adjustable resulting in a change in the effective diameter of the belt and a change in the scanning speed.

Adjustable speed control for a document imaging system

Toner container

An auger for use in a xerographic development system comprising an elongated twisted unitary strip of sheet metal, defined by two helically contoured edges extending along the longitudinal axis of the auger. The auger contains a series of spaced apart slots or recesses along the outer periphery of the helical edges, the slots extending inwardly a short distance from the edges toward the axis of the auger.

Auger for a development system

A toner dispenser having a rotatable cylindrical dispenser roll and an automatic low toner level indicator comprising a lamp and photocell mounted in opposed walls of the dispenser adjacent the bottom of the dispenser housing. The lamp and photocell are separated from the toner in the dispenser by transparent windows. A wiping arrangement is provided inside the dispenser to periodically clean the windows including wiper pads biased into contact with the windows and movable periodically back and forth across the surface of the windows in response to rotation of the dispenser roll.

Wiper arrangement for toner level sensor

A toner dispenser having a resilient open-cell foam dispensing roll and a dispensing edge in deforming contact with the roll. The edge is both movable and contoured along the axis of the roll to vary both the toner dispensing rate and the uniformity of the dispensing rate along the edge.

Deformable toner dispenser with flow rate controller

A magnetic brush development system for developing latent electrostatic images carried by a photoconductor has a stationary section containing at least one development roll and a movable section containing at least a sump for storing a supply of developer. The movable section is translatable forwardly and rearwardly toward and away from the stationary section and includes a flow gate for selectively interrupting the flow of developer from the sump. There is a catch mechanism for releasably latching the sections of the housing which is interlocked with the flow gate to insure that the flow gate is closed before the catch is disengaged, while still permitting the flow gate to be opened and closed at will while the catch is engaged.

Split developer housing with interlocked flow gate and catch

Several rolls of a multi-roll magnetic brush development system are supported on brackets which have followers riding on the surface of the drum of an electrostatic processor to pivot the brackets about the axis of a first of the rolls in response to variations in the radial run-out of the drum. The bracket supported rolls may all be development rolls or one or more of them may be transport rolls. The significant feature is that the brackets maintain a constant roll-to-roll spacing, while the motion of the brackets tends to compensate for variations in the radial run-out of the drum or, in other words, to maintain a substantially constant photoreceptor-to-development roll spacing. Additional rolls may, of course, be mounted in series with the first of the rolls without encountering any variations in the roll-to-roll spacing because the brackets pivot about the axis of that roll.

Growing community of inventors

Penfield, NY, United States of America

John E Forward