The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 05, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 05, 1999
Thomas C. Hollar, Penfield, NY (US);
Wayne C. Powley, Ontario, NY (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for transporting sheets in a longitudinal direction includes an improvement for reducing the imparting to the sheet material of friction, static charge, and foreign deleterious material while substantially minimizing the burnishing of the surface of the sheets. To this end, a plurality of elongated sheet supporting rib members project outwardly from a guide surface, extend diagonally relative to the longitudinal direction, are all of uniform height above the sheet guide surface, and are of uniform cross section. The sheet supporting rib members are so dimensioned and positioned that any random element of a sheet being fed in the longitudinal direction through the apparatus crosses only one of the sheet supporting rib members. Actually, a plurality of first sheet supporting rib members extend diagonally in a first direction and another plurality of elongated second sheet supporting rib members extend diagonally in a second direction which is transverse of the first direction. The incidence angle between the longitudinal direction and each of the sheet supporting rib members is in the range of about 5° to about 30° and, preferably, in the range of about 10° to about 20°. A drive roll mechanism may be provided for engaging the sheets in the region of the sheet supporting rib members.