U.S. patent application number 09/833778 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-17 for automatic clip attaching mechanism and a document set producing machine having same.
This patent application is currently assigned to Xerox Corporation. Invention is credited to Conard-White, Sally A., Tatar, LynneMarie, Tiberio, Connie J..
Application Number | 20020150414 09/833778 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25265255 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020150414 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Conard-White, Sally A. ; et
al. |
October 17, 2002 |
Automatic clip attaching mechanism and a document set producing
machine having same
Abstract
An automatic clip attaching mechanism is provided for
automatically attaching, to a set of sheets, a clip having a crown
portion, elbow portions' arm portions connected to the crown
portion, and a pair of deflectable hands attached to the arm
portions and defining a gap with the crown portion. The automatic
clip attaching mechanism includes a support assembly having a set
compiler tray defining (i) a set plane for supporting a set of
sheets, (ii) an open space below the set plane, and (iii) an open
space above the set plane. The automatic clip attaching mechanism
also includes a clip support and guide member for supporting and
guiding a clip towards the set plane to be automatically attached
to an edge of the set of sheets. The clip support and guide member
defines a clip feeding position and includes (i) a clip stacking
and guide member for supporting a stack of clips and for guiding a
lead clip in a supported stack of clips into the feeding position,
as well as (ii) a clip hands spreading and guide member for
spreading the pair of deflectable hands of the clip from the crown
portion and arms portions thereof, and for guiding the pair of
deflectable hands and the arms portions oppositely into the space
above and the space below the set of sheets. The automatic clip
attaching mechanism then includes a powered device for contacting
the elbow portions of the lead clip in the feeding position and for
automatically pushing such lead clip over the clip hands spreading
and guide member into an attached relationship with the set of
sheets on the set plane.
Inventors: |
Conard-White, Sally A.;
(Rochester, NY) ; Tatar, LynneMarie; (Rochester,
NY) ; Tiberio, Connie J.; (Webster, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Patent Documentation Center
Xerox Corporation
Xerox Square 20th Floor
100 Clinton Ave. S.
Rochester
NY
14644
US
|
Assignee: |
Xerox Corporation
|
Family ID: |
25265255 |
Appl. No.: |
09/833778 |
Filed: |
April 12, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
399/410 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 2301/43825
20130101; B42C 1/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
399/410 |
International
Class: |
B65H 033/04 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An automatic clip attaching mechanism for automatically
attaching, to a set of sheets, a clip having a crown portion, elbow
portions' arm portions connected to the crown portion, and a pair
of deflectable hands attached to the arm portions and defining a
gap with the crown portion, the automatic clip attaching mechanism
comprising: (a) a support assembly including a set compiler tray
defining (i) a set plane for supporting a set of sheets, (ii) an
open space below the set plane, and (iii) an open space above the
set plane; (b) a clip support and guide member for supporting and
guiding a clip towards the set plane to be automatically attached
to an edge of the set of sheets, said clip support and guide member
defining a clip feeding position and including (i) a clip stacking
and guide member for supporting a stack of clips and for guiding a
lead clip in a supported stack of clips into said feeding position,
and (ii) a clip hands spreading and guide member for spreading the
pair of deflectable hands of the clip from the crown portion and
arms portions thereof, and for guiding the pair of deflectable
hands and the arms portions oppositely into said space above and
said space below the set of sheets; and (c) a powered device for
contacting the elbow portions of the lead clip in said feeding
position and for automatically pushing such lead clip over the clip
hands spreading and guide member into an attached relationship with
the set of sheets on said set plane.
2. The automatic clip attaching mechanism of claim 1, wherein said
clip stacking and guide member has a shape and size suitable for
fitting, slidably, within the gap defined by the pair of
deflectable hands with the crown portion.
3. The automatic clip attaching mechanism of claim 1, wherein said
clip hands spreading and guide member has a first surface aligned
with said space below the set of sheets, and a second an opposite
surface aligned with said space above the set of sheets.
4. The automatic clip attaching mechanism of claim 1, wherein said
clip hands spreading and guide member has a first end adjacent said
clip stacking and guide member, and a distal end located adjacent
the set of sheets on said set plane.
5. The automatic clip attaching mechanism of claim 1, wherein said
clip hands spreading and guide member is arranged at an angle
relative to said clip stacking and guide member.
6. The automatic clip attaching mechanism of claim 1, including a
set height sensor for sensing a height of the set of sheets on said
set plane.
7. The automatic clip attaching mechanism of claim 3, wherein said
second surface of said clip hands spreading and guide member is
inclined relative to said first surface thereof for spreading the
pair of deflectable hands from said arms portions and said crown
portion.
8. An electrostatographic reproduction machine for producing toner
images on copy sheets, the electrostatographic reproduction machine
comprising: (a) a moveable image bearing member having an image
bearing surface; (b) means for forming a toner image on said image
bearing surface; (c) a copy sheet supply and feeding assembly for
feeding a copy sheet to a transfer station to receive said toner
image from said image bearing surface; (d) a fusing apparatus for
fusing said toner image onto said copy sheet; (e) a finishing unit
for collecting said copy sheet and forming a set of said copy
sheets; and (f) an automatic clip attaching mechanism for
automatically attaching, to a set of sheets, a clip having a crown
portion, elbow portions, arm portions connected to the crown
portion, and a pair of deflectable hands attached to the arm
portions and defining a gap with the crown portion, the automatic
clip attaching mechanism comprising: (i) a support assembly
including a set compiler tray defining (i) a set plane for
supporting a set of sheets, (ii) an open space below the set plane,
and (iii) an open space above the set plane; (ii) a clip support
and guide member for supporting and guiding a clip towards the set
plane to be automatically attached to an edge of the set of sheets,
said clip support and guide member defining a clip feeding position
and including (i) a clip stacking and guide member for supporting a
stack of clips and for guiding a lead clip in a supported stack of
clips into said feeding position, and (ii) a clip hands spreading
and guide member for spreading the pair of deflectable hands of the
clip from the crown portion and arms portions thereof, and for
guiding the pair of deflectable hands and the arms portions
oppositely into said space above and said space below the set of
sheets; and (iii) a powered device for contacting the elbow
portions of the lead clip in said feeding position and for
automatically pushing such lead clip over the clip hands spreading
and guide member into an attached relationship with the set of
sheets on said set plane.
9. The electrostatographic reproduction machine of claim 8, wherein
said clip stacking and guide member has a shape and size suitable
for fitting, slidably, within the gap defined by the pair of
deflectable hands with the crown portion.
10. The electrostatographic reproduction machine of claim 8,
wherein said clip hands spreading and guide member has a first
surface aligned with said space below the set of sheets, and a
second an opposite surface aligned with said space above the set of
sheets.
11. The electrostatographic reproduction machine of claim 8,
wherein said clip hands spreading and guide member has a first end
adjacent said clip stacking and guide member, and a distal end
located adjacent the set of sheets on said set plane.
12. The electrostatographic reproduction machine of claim 8,
including a set height sensor for sensing a height of the set of
sheets on said set plane.
13. The electrostatographic reproduction machine of claim 10,
wherein said second surface of said clip hands spreading and guide
member is inclined relative to said first surface thereof for
spreading the pair of deflectable hands from said arms portions and
said crown portion.
14. The electrostatographic reproduction machine of claim 11,
wherein said clip hands spreading and guide member is attached to
said clip stacking and guide member.
15. The electrostatographic reproduction machine of claim 11,
wherein a height of said distal end of said clip hands spreading
and guide member is adjustable for accommodating varying heights of
sets of sheets on said set plane.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No.
______ (Applicants' Docket No. D/99832) entitled "PAPER CLIP
AUTOMATIC ATTACHING DEVICE AND A DOCUMENT SET PRODUCING MACHINE
HAVING SAME" filed on the same date herewith, and having at least
one common inventor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to an apparatus for
automatically binding sheets of paper together, and more
specifically to a sheet set automatic clip attaching mechanism and
a document or copy set producing machine having same.
[0003] Copying or reproduction machines include but are not limited
to electrostatographic process machines. Generally, however, the
process of electrostatographic copying or reproduction machines,
such as light lens or scanner type machines, includes uniformly
charging an image frame of a moving photoconductive member, or
photoreceptor, to a substantially uniform potential, and imagewise
discharging it or imagewise exposing it to light reflected from an
original image being copied or reproduced. The result is an
electrostatically formed latent image on the image frame of the
photoconductive member. For multiple original images, several such
frames are similarly imaged. The latent image so formed on each
frame is developed by bringing a charged developer material into
contact therewith. Two-component and single-component developer
materials are commonly used. A typical two-component developer
material comprises magnetic carrier particles, also known as
"carrier beads," having fusable charged toner particles adhering
triboelectrically thereto. A single component developer material
typically comprises charged toner particles only.
[0004] In either case, the fusable charged toner particles when
brought into contact with each latent image, are attracted to such
image, thus forming a toner image on the photoconductive member.
The toner image is subsequently transferred at a transfer station
to an image receiver or copy sheet. The copy sheet is then passed
through a fuser apparatus where the toner image is heated and
permanently fused to the copy sheet forming a hard copy of the
original image. Hard copy sheets formed as such can then be
accumulated into a set that needs binding.
[0005] Document production machines such as copiers and printers
conventionally come with the capability of binding the set of hard
copies by stapling using a staple driving device as is well known.
The other means for binding such sets together is by inserting
clips. Currently, the most common option available for clipping
sets of sheets is to do so manually. There is however a vary wide
variety of clips, none of which seems to have an advantage over the
others in terms of usage.
[0006] The undesirable result is a mess of clips sitting on top of
the machine (not always in the provided area). Manually clipping a
set of documents can also be a frustrating experience, especially
due to the fact that clips and sheets can become tangled, or that
there is lack of clips at the machine. Clips also tend to fall
easily into the copiers and printers, thus causing machine problems
and increasing the need for on-site technical representative
repairs. Productivity is also affected because of the need to wait
in line for the copier while someone manually tries to properly
insert clips to a set of documents before returning to their desk.
The same problems occurs with printers.
[0007] Automatic clip inserters or fitting machines have been
suggested for a wide variety of certain types of clips as disclosed
for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,154. But apparently these have
not found acceptance and wide use as there is still a large
population of copiers and printers out there relying mainly on
stapling or manual clip insertion.
[0008] There is therefore a need for a simplified and widely
acceptable automatic clip inserter for sets of hard copies of
documents produced by copiers and printers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In accordance with the present invention, there has been
provided an automatic clip attaching mechanism is provided for
automatically attaching, to a set of sheets, a clip having a crown
portion, elbow portions' arm portions connected to the crown
portion, and a pair of deflectable hands attached to the arm
portions and defining a gap with the crown portion. The automatic
clip attaching mechanism includes a support assembly having a set
compiler tray defining (i) a set plane for supporting a set of
sheets, (ii) an open space below the set plane, and (iii) an open
space above the set plane. The automatic clip attaching mechanism
also includes a clip support and guide member for supporting and
guiding a clip towards the set plane to be automatically attached
to an edge of the set of sheets. The clip support and guide member
defines a clip feeding position and includes (i) a clip stacking
and guide member for supporting a stack of clips and for guiding a
lead clip in a supported stack of clips into the feeding position,
as well as (ii) a clip hands spreading and guide member for
spreading the pair of deflectable hands of the clip from the crown
portion and arms portions thereof, and for guiding the pair of
deflectable hands and the arms portions oppositely into the space
above and the space below the set of sheets. The automatic clip
attaching mechanism then includes a powered device for contacting
the elbow portions of the lead clip in the feeding position and for
automatically pushing such lead clip over the clip hands spreading
and guide member into an attached relationship with the set of
sheets on the set plane..
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] In the detailed description of the invention presented
below, reference is made to the drawings, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is an external view of a document set producing
machine including a finisher having the automatic clip attaching
mechanism of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a vertical schematic view of the internal process
components and stations of the document set producing machine of
FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 3 is an illustration of a clip, for example a regal
clip, for use in the automatic clip attaching mechanism of the
present invention;
[0014] FIG. 4 shows a full top view of the finisher of FIG. 1
including the automatic clip attaching mechanism of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the finisher of FIG. 1 including
the automatic clip attaching mechanism of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 6 shows a side sectional view of a portion of the
finisher of FIG. 1 including the automatic clip attaching mechanism
of the present invention with a lead clip in a feed position;
and
[0017] FIG. 7 is the same as FIG. 6 with the lead screw partially
fed over the clip hands spreading and guide member; and
[0018] FIG. 8 is an illustration of a set of sheets bound with a
clip completely fed and fully attached using the automatic clip
attaching mechanism of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] While the present invention will be described in connection
with a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it
is not intended to limit the invention to that embodiment. On the
contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications,
and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of
the invention as defined by the appended claims.
[0020] Referring first to FIG. 1, the copying machine 8 is
illustrated externally and includes a frame shown generally as 80
including a top horizontal frame panel 82. The top horizontal panel
82 includes a platen cover 84, and could instead include an
automatic document handler (not shown), as well as an output tray
49. Copies of original documents reproduced by the process of the
machine 8 can be collected as described above in a bin sorter
apparatus 50 having individual bins 52. The frame 82 also includes
a front vertical panel 86 that has openings for copy sheet supply
trays 90, 92, for example, and that forms a corner 88 with the top
horizontal panel 82.
[0021] Referring next to FIG. 2, the machine 8 has conventional
imaging processing stations associated therewith, including a
charging station AA, an imaging/exposing station BB, a development
station CC, a transfer station DD, a fusing station EE, and a
cleaning station FF. Importantly, the machine 8 includes a
convenience active staple removing station of the present invention
shown generally as SR, (to be described in detail below).
[0022] As shown, the machine 8 has a photoconductive belt 10 with a
photoconductive layer 12 which is supported by a drive roller 14
and a tension roller 15. The drive roller 14 functions to drive the
belt in the direction indicated by arrow 18. The drive roller 14 is
itself driven by a motor (not shown) by suitable means, such as a
belt drive.
[0023] The operation of the machine 8 can be briefly described as
follows. Initially, the photoconductive belt 10 is charged at the
charging station AA by a corona generating device 20. The charged
portion of the belt is then transported by action of the drive
roller 14 to the imaging/exposing station BB where a latent image
is formed on the belt 10 corresponding to the image on a document
positioned on a platen 24 via the light lens imaging system 28 of
the imaging/exposing station 13B. It will also be understood that
the light lens imaging system can easily be changed to an
input/output scanning terminal or an output scanning terminal
driven by a data input signal to likewise image the belt 10. As is
also well known, the document on the platen 24 can be placed there
manually, or it could be fed there automatically by an automatic
document handler device (not shown).
[0024] The portion of the belt 10 bearing the latent image is then
transported to the development station CC where the latent image is
developed by electrically charged toner material from a magnetic
developer roller 30 of the developer station CC. The developed
image on the belt is then transported to the transfer station DD
where the toner image is transferred to a copy sheet fed from a
sheet cassette tray, for example, sheet cassette tray assemblies
70, 72. As shown, the sheets are fed, for example, by a copy sheet
handling system 31 that each includes a feed roller 33.
[0025] At the transfer station DD, a corona generating device 32 is
provided for charging the copy sheet so as to attract the charged
toner image from the photoconductive belt 10 to the copy sheet. The
copy sheet with the transferred image thereon is then directed to
the fuser station EE. The fuser apparatus at station EE includes a
heated fuser roll 34 and backup pressure roll 36. The heated fuser
roll 34 and pressure roll 36 rotatably cooperate to fuse and fix
the toner image onto the copy sheet. The copy sheet then, as is
well known, may be selectively transported to the finishing area,
or to a duplex tray 40 along a selectable duplex path 42 for
duplexing.
[0026] The portion of the belt 10 from which the developed image
was transferred is then advanced to the cleaning station FF where
residual toner and charge on the belt are removed by a cleaning
device such as a blade 44, and a discharge lamp (not shown) in
order to prepare the portion for a subsequent imaging cycle.
[0027] When not doing duplex imaging, or at the end of such duplex
imaging, the copy sheets upon finally leaving the fusing rolls 34,
36, are passed to rolls 46 and 48 for input to the finisher 100.
From the input rolls 46, 48, the copy sheets are fed, for example,
individually to the output tray 49, or as a set of such sheets to a
compiler tray 144 (FIG. 4) of the finisher 100 for binding by a
staple driving unit 130 or by the automatic clip attaching
mechanism 141 in accordance with the present invention.
[0028] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 8, a clip 110, such as a regal
type clip, that is suitable for attaching using the automatic clip
attaching mechanism 141 of the present invention, and a set of
sheets so attached, are illustrated. As shown, the clip 110
includes a crown portion 112, and a pair of side by side arms
having deflectable hand portions 114, 116 connected by the crown
portion 112. The crown portion 112 and each of the arms and hands
114, 116 each have a thickness "T", and the crown portion 112 has a
length "L". Of the hands 119, 121, the distal ends 117, 118 thereof
are bent back, and ordinarily in the same common plane 120 towards
the crown portion 112, and define a gap 111 from the crown portion
112. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the gap 111 is used for holding
each clip 110 in a stack 162 of such clips on the clip stacking and
guide member 153.
[0029] The distal ends 117, 118 of the deflectable arms and hands
114, 116, when in the unattached position, normally are aligned and
lie on a common plane 122 (FIG. 3). To attach the clip 110 to a set
132 of sheets (FIG. 6), at least one of the distal ends 117, 118 is
moved out of the common plane 122 and relative to the other arm,
thus allowing space between the distal ends for inserting an edge
portion 134 of a set of sheets to be bound. When a set 132 of
sheets is bound thus, the hands 119, 121, and the arms 114, 116,
end up (FIG. 8) on opposite side of the edge portion 134 of the set
of sheets.
[0030] Referring now to FIGS. 3-8, an automatic clip attaching
mechanism 141 in accordance with the present invention, includes a
clip holding assembly 160 for holding a stack 162 of clips, and a
clip pushing or driving mechanism 170. When a set 132 of sheets are
to be bound together by a clip, an edge portion 134 of the set 132
of sheets is positioned toward the automatic clip attaching
mechanism 141 so as to easily fit between the mutually opened
deflectable side by side hands 119 and 121 and the crown 112 and
arms 114, 116 of a clip 110. The present invention provides an
option for automatically binding a set of document sheets at a
copier/printer using a clip in a manner similar to stapling
processes currently available on many copiers/printers. The clip is
a standard metal clip that is not very difficult to dispense, and
the apparatus of the present invention (the automatic clip
attaching mechanism 141) makes them easy to store and dispense in a
manner that would prevent tangling. Therefore, many opportunities
for the clip dispenser to jam would cause additional service calls
for the machines.
[0031] Referring in particular to FIG. 4, the staple driving unit
138 is also provided in the copy reproduction machine 8, for
selective use along side the automatic clip attaching mechanism 141
of the present invention. A moveable unit 130 selectively moves the
staple driving unit 138 (shown out of the way) into staple driving
position for a set of sheets 132, or out of the way of such set of
sheets as shown. A set pushing tamping unit 135 is provided, as
well as a set hold down unit 137, and a set pushing unit 171 for
registering the sides of the set of sheets prior to staple driving
or clip attachment. Since either the staple driving unit 138 or the
automatic clip attaching mechanism 141 can be selectively set at
the compiler tray 144 of the finisher 100, the set 132 of sheets
can be bound together by either a staple or the clip, depending on
the purpose or the intended use of the bound copies or sheets.
[0032] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the automatic clip attaching
mechanism 141 is suitable for automatically attaching, to a set 132
of sheets, a regal type clip 110 having a crown portion 112, arm
portions 114, 116, elbow portions 113, 115 and a pair of side by
side deflectable hands 119, 121 having distal ends 117, 118 (FIGS.
3 and 8). The deflectable hands 119, 121, the elbow portions 113,
115, and the crown portions ordinarily lie in a common plane 120.
As shown, the deflectable hands 119, 121 are bent back towards, but
spaced from, the crown portion 112, so that the distal ends 117,
118 define a gap 111 with the crown portion 112. One method of
attaching the clip 110 to a set of sheets is by spreading the hands
119, 121 out of the common plane 120 with the arm portions 114, 116
and crown portion 112. As illustrated, the automatic clip attaching
mechanism 141 includes a sheet support assembly 142 including the
set compiler tray 144 on which copy sheets are accumulated or
compiled into a set 132 for binding.
[0033] Referring in particular to FIGS. 4-7, (top and side views of
141) the set compiler tray 144 defines a set plane 146 for
supporting the set 132 of sheets, as well as, a first open space
148 below the set plane, and a second open space 149 above the set
plane 146. Each open space 148, 149 is suitable for allowing
passage of the crown portion 112 or the distal end 117, 118 of the
hands 119, 121 of a clip 110 being attached to a set 132 of sheets
on the set plane 146.
[0034] The automatic clip attaching mechanism 141 includes a clip
holding assembly 160 that has a clip support and guide member 150
that supports and guides each clip 110 towards the set plane 146
where it can be automatically attached to the edge portion 134 of
the set of sheets 132. The clip support and guide member 150
includes a clip stacking and guide member 153, and a clip hands
spreading and guide member 154 having a first guide surface 156 for
guiding, for example, the pair of deflectable hands 119, 121 into a
first position within the first open space 148 below the set plane
146, as illustrated. The clips hands spreading and guide member 154
also has a second guide surface 158 for guiding, for example, the
crown portion 112 and arms portions 114, 116 into a second position
within the second open space 149 above the set plane 146, as
illustrated.
[0035] As shown, a plane of the second guide surface 159 is
inclined, for example, upwardly, relative to a plane of the first
guide surface 156, for deflecting the hands 119, 121 away from the
common plane 120 and thus from the crown portion 112 and arms
portions 114, 116.
[0036] As also shown, the clip sacking and guide member 153 is
suitable for holding a stack 162 of the clip 110 in position for
feeding a lead clip 163 in the feeding position 164 onto the clip
hands spreading and guide member 154. The clip support and guide
member 150 includes the clip stacking and guide member 153 for
holding the stack 162 of clips, and a spring loaded feeding
mechanism 168 located for applying a force 166 to move the stack
162 and hence the lead clip 163 of the stack into the feeding
position 164.
[0037] The clip support and guide member 150 next includes a
powered driving or pushing device or mechanism 170, for contacting
the elbow portions 113, 115 of the lead clip 163 in the stack 162,
and for automatically pushing such lead clip 163, crown portion 112
first, over the second guide surface 158 of the clip hands
spreading and guide member 154, into an attached relationship (FIG.
8) with the set 132 of sheets on the set plane 146.
[0038] As shown, the clip stacking and guide member 153 has a shape
and size that are suitable for fitting, slidably, within the gap
111 defined by the pair of deflectable hands 119, 121 with the
crown portion 112. The first surface 156 of the clip hands
spreading and guide member 154 has is aligned with the space 148
below the set plane, and the second an opposite surface 158 is
aligned with the open space 149 above the set 132 of sheets on the
set plane 146. As shown, the second surface 158 of the clip hands
spreading and guide member 154 is inclined relative to the first
surface 156 thereof for spreading the pair of deflectable hands
from the arm portions 114, 116 and the crown portion 112. The clip
hands spreading and guide member 154 has a first end 155 adjacent
the clip stacking and guide member 153. The clip hands spreading
and guide member 154 further has a distal end 157 that is arranged
at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the clip stacking
and guide member 153, and is located adjacent the edge portion 134
of the set 132 of sheets on the set plane.
[0039] As can be seen, there has been provided an automatic clip
attaching mechanism is provided for automatically attaching, to a
set of sheets, a clip having a crown portion, elbow portion' arm
portions connected to the crown portion, and a pair of deflectable
hands attached to the arm portions and defining a gap with the
crown portion. The automatic clip attaching mechanism includes a
support assembly having a set compiler tray defining (i) a set
plane for supporting a set of sheets, (ii) an open space below the
set plane, and (iii) an open space above the set plane. The
automatic clip attaching mechanism also includes a clip support and
guide member for supporting and guiding a clip towards the set
plane to be automatically attached to an edge of the set of sheets.
The clip support and guide member defines a clip feeding position
and includes (i) a clip stacking and guide member for supporting a
stack of clips and for guiding a lead clip in a supported stack of
clips into the feeding position, as well as (ii) a clip hands
spreading and guide member for spreading the pair of deflectable
hands of the clip from the crown portion and arms portions thereof,
and for guiding the pair of deflectable hands and the arms portions
oppositely into the space above and the space below the set of
sheets. The automatic clip attaching mechanism then includes a
powered device for contacting the elbow portions of the lead clip
in the feeding position and for automatically pushing such lead
clip over the clip hands spreading and guide member into an
attached relationship with the set of sheets on the set plane.
[0040] While this invention has been described in conjunction with
a particular embodiment thereof, it shall be evident that many
alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to
those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the present invention is
intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and
variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the
appended claims.
* * * * *