Eastman-kodak Company

Nexpress Solutions, Inc.

Reinhard Weltz

Andreas Dickhoff

Andreas Schweizer

Helmut Domes

Volker Konig

An apparatus for transporting and delivering individual sheets ( ) within a final processing unit ( ) downstream from a printing or copying unit ( ). In the final processing unit ( ) an input transport roller pair ( ) is followed by a sheet transport track ( ) having a stop surface ( ) for lateral registration of the sheets ( ) passing through, a working delivery surface ( ) having a stop surface ( ) for end-surface registration of the sheets ( ) being arranged at the end of the sheet transport track ( ). Arranged after the working delivery surface ( ) is a final delivery container for the individual sheets or sheet stacks, which extends at a 90&deg; angle to the sheet transport track ( ).

Apparatus for transporting and delivering individual sheets

The degree of wear of the paper transport roller (10) is checked by means of a reflected light barrier (40). To that end, the paper transport roller (10) comprises two layers (13 and 15) applied to the core of the paper transport roller (10). The two layers (13 and 15) differ in their degree of reflection for electromagnetic radiation. The layers (13 and 15) are applied to the paper transport roller (10) such that the inner layer (13) has a lower degree of reflection than the outer layer (15). The inner layer (13) is advantageously black and the outer layer (15) white. When the outer layer (15) is worn as a result of the friction between the single sheet (30) to be transported and the paper transport roller (10), the inner layer (13) gradually comes into contact with the single sheets. The degree of reflection of the surface of the paper transport roller (10) then also changes in the same way and is determined using a reflected light barrier (40). The user is therefore signaled that the paper transport roller (10) must be replaced.

Device for determining the degree of wear of a paper transport roller

A stapling device has a holddown element, a staple forming member, and a staple driving means, which are guided linearly and are movable perpendicular to the upper side of a sheet stack to be stapled. A first pressure spring with a lower spring force is associated with the holddown element. A second pressure spring whose spring force is greater than that of the first pressure spring, is associated with the staple forming member. A third pressure spring is associated with the staple driving means, its spring force being greater than that of the second pressure spring. The pressure springs are arranged with identical working directions perpendicular to the upper side of the sheet stack. The first pressure spring is arranged in preloaded fashion between the holddown element and the staple forming member. The second pressure spring is arranged in preloaded fashion between the staple forming member and the staple driving means. The third pressure spring is arranged in preloaded fashion between the staple driving means and a drive head on which engages an eccentric drive which moves the stapling device in the direction of the arrow onto sheet stack, and thereby controls a force-controlled drive mechanism of the stapling device in an operationally correct sequence.

Stapling device

A sheet guidance channel includes a pair of opposite surfaces (2a, 2b) in which are formed elongated raised beads (12) extending in the transport direction (A--A). The elongated raised beads (12) are arranged on the two surfaces (2a, 2b) such that they are arranged in pairs opposite to one another, restricting the height of the sheet guidance channel. Relative to the central axis (M) of the surfaces (2a, 2b), the elongated raised beads (12) are inclined by an angle .alpha. in the transport direction and the elongated raised beads (12) extend in the transport direction (A--A) only over partial areas of the surfaces (2a, 2b).

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Leonberg, Germany

Reinhard Weltz