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:
Feb. 27, 2007
Filed:
Dec. 09, 2002
Harold Peter Lindelof, Eden Prairie, MN (US);
Leon David Wirth, Hastings, MN (US);
Harold Peter Lindelof, Eden Prairie, MN (US);
Leon David Wirth, Hastings, MN (US);
Smead Manufacturing Company, Hastings, MN (US);
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a sheet feeder for a printer. The sheet feeding device feeds a single sheet into an infeeder of a printer without communicating with the printer. The sheet feeder is equipped with a sensor for detecting when the printer is able to accept a sheet. The sheet feeder is equipped with a programmable timing device that causes the sheet feeder to wait a predetermined amount of time before inserting another sheet into the printer. The predetermined amount of time corresponds to the amount of time needed for the printer to complete printing on a sheet after the sensor has detected that the printer is able to accept a sheet into the infeeder of the printer. The sheet feeder is configured with a gate having an adjustable gap in close proximity to a tray containing a stack of sheets. The gate permits only a single sheet to be fed into the infeeder of the printer at a time. The gate has a guide post having a radius of curvature curving toward the gap to urge the stack of sheets toward the gap in the gate. The sheet feeder has an adjustable tray designed to compensate for non-uniform profiles of a stack of sheets. The adjustable tray urges the stack of sheets into the gap in an upward motion to prevent jamming of the sheets in the sheet feeding device.