Polaroid Corporation

Kenneth A McAuley

Theodore J LaBelle

June C Fichter

Frank S Silveira

John B Morse

Walter P Haimberger

Keith D Joncas

Alan M Binder

George P Ward, Jr

A laminating apparatus is disclosed which has a loading slot for facilitating the loading of a web through a nip located between a supply and takeup spindle. An inboard support carries the inboard end of the supply and takeup spindles and the laminating rolls, and a spaced outboard support carries the other end of the laminating rolls. The outboard support is formed with a supply aperture aligned with the supply spindle, a takeup aperture aligned with the takeup spindle, and an interconnected threading slot corresponding to the path of the laminating web through the laminating nip between the supports.

Laminator and loading system therefor

A pick mechanism for sheet feeding apparatus of a type in which the top sheet of a stack of media is separated from the remainder of the stack by pick movement to engage and lift the rear end of the top sheet from the remainder of the stack for subsequent separation and feeding from the stack, and including means for lifting the pick independently of elevating movement caused by engagement of the pick with a sheet. The pick lifting arrangement operates to lift the pick in the event of a failure thereof to engage the rear edge of a sheet and also to gently lower the pick back onto the next successive top sheet in the stack to be fed. A detector system is provided by which the conditions of sheet feed due to pick movement are detected and used to control driving components associated with the apparatus.

Pick mechanism for sheet feeding apparatus

A sheet feeding method and apparatus particularly suited to handling plastic sheets having a tendency to adhere to each other under electrostatic action, in which the uppermost sheet of a stack is fed by first lifting the rear edge of the sheet into a generally arcuate configuration and translating a lifting member forwardly under the lifted rear edge to progressively separate the uppermost sheet from the rest of the stack. The lifting members preferably in the form of an idler roller which translates to a position in cooperation with a drive roller so that the sheet becomes sandwiched between the tow rollers for final feeding from the stack. The mechanism features a pick assembly particularly suited for engaging and lifting the rear edge of each sheet into a predictable arcuate configuration.

Sheet feeding method and apparatus

A sheet clamping system for high speed rotatable drums is provided in which light-weight clamping bars, formed of relatively thin metal sheet stock, are configured and/or oriented for maximum resistance to deflection radially of the axis of drum rotation as well as positively secured in a sheet medium clamping position at axially spaced intervals along the length of the drum. The system further includes centrifugally actuated, axially extending rods positioned to underlie the operative portion of each clamping bar in a manner such that leading and trailing edges of a retained sheet are sandwiched between the rods and the clamping bars under a clamping force generally proportional to the square of drum rotational speeds.

Dynamically stable sheet clamping system for high speed sheet handling

A sheet clamping system for rotatable drums especially suited for use in retaining and positioning successive receiver sheets for high speed printers. The clamping system enables unidirectional movement of a sheet during delivery of the sheet to the drum from a supply stack, during clamping of the leading edge of the sheet to the drum followed by clamping of the trailing edge of the same sheet to the drum and during subsequent release and delivery of the sheet to a receiving stack or tray. The system features a cam system for actuating respective leading and trailing edge clamps which is supported on the same shaft to which drum driving rotation is supplied by a drive motor. In one embodiment where the drive motor is reversible, a one-way clutch connection of the drum to the shaft enables drum rotation during one rotational direction of the shaft whereas clamping bar actuation is effected by rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction while holding the drum. In an alternative embodiment, the drum is fixed to the shaft which is driven in a working direction only by a first relatively high speed motor, the cam system is rotatable on the shaft, and a second relatively slow speed stepping motor drives the cam system and the drum during sheet loading and unloading operations.

Sheet clamping arrangement for rotatable drums

A counterbalancing and sheet clamp retention system for high speed sheet handling drums of the type in which leading and trailing edge clamping bars extend along the length of the drum periphery and are capable of movement between retracted and sheet clamping positions for automatic loading and unloading successive sheets to and from the drum. The clamping bars, supported at opposite ends for movement between their respective retracted and clamping positions, are engaged centrally along their length by a retaining device which moves to a clamping bar engaging position under centrifugal force as the rotational velocity of the drum reaches a predetermined value. The retaining device is a self-contained unit insertable through a radial opening in the drum and contains a pair of bell crank retainers each having a clamping bar engaging claw on one arm and a weight on the other arm so that centrifugal force operates to pivot the bell crank and bring the claws thereon into engagement with the closed sheet clamping bars. The drum is further counterbalanced by a fixed weight opposite from the movable bell crank weights. Further, the ends of the clamping bar are moved against the drum periphery to their sheet clamping positions by centrifugal force acting on counterbalancing weight carried by radially movable brackets from which the ends of the respective clamping bars are supported.

Growing community of inventors

Boston, MA, United States of America

Kenneth A McAuley