U.S. patent application number 12/712237 was filed with the patent office on 2010-09-16 for printing apparatus.
This patent application is currently assigned to TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA. Invention is credited to Toshiharu Sekino.
Application Number | 20100230894 12/712237 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42730035 |
Filed Date | 2010-09-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100230894 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sekino; Toshiharu |
September 16, 2010 |
PRINTING APPARATUS
Abstract
A printing apparatus is provided with a storage unit that is
configured by a curved carrying route including first and second
arc carrying routes which are sequentially connected to a carry-out
side of a main carrying path along a sheet carrying direction, and
the first and second arc carrying routes are arranged on upper and
lower sides of a line component extending along a sheet carrying
surface in a printing device.
Inventors: |
Sekino; Toshiharu;
(Shizuoka, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TUROCY & WATSON, LLP
127 Public Square, 57th Floor, Key Tower
CLEVELAND
OH
44114
US
|
Assignee: |
TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI
KAISHA
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
42730035 |
Appl. No.: |
12/712237 |
Filed: |
February 25, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
271/277 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 29/14 20130101;
G07F 19/20 20130101; B65H 29/60 20130101; B65H 2301/31124 20130101;
G07F 19/201 20130101; B65H 2403/942 20130101; B65H 2301/4213
20130101; B65H 2511/212 20130101; B65H 2404/632 20130101; B65H
2511/11 20130101; B65H 2301/42262 20130101; B65H 2403/51 20130101;
B65H 5/062 20130101; B65H 2404/1441 20130101; B65H 31/36 20130101;
B65H 2404/6111 20130101; B65H 31/3027 20130101; B65H 2301/333
20130101; B65H 2220/02 20130101; B65H 2220/11 20130101; B65H
2220/01 20130101; B65H 5/38 20130101; B65H 2301/341 20130101; B65H
2511/212 20130101; B65H 2511/11 20130101; B65H 5/26 20130101; B65H
29/125 20130101; B65H 2301/332 20130101; B65H 2404/141
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
271/277 |
International
Class: |
B65H 5/06 20060101
B65H005/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 16, 2009 |
JP |
2009-063401 |
Claims
1. A printing apparatus comprising: a carrying device that
continuously carries sheets along a main carrying path; a printing
device that prints information on the sheets which are continuously
carried along the main carrying path; a storage unit that is
configured by a curved carrying route including first and second
arc carrying routes which are sequentially connected to a carry-out
side of the main carrying path along a sheet carrying direction;
and a pair of carrying rollers that nip and carry the sheets that
are introduced sequentially in the storage unit while curving the
sheets along the first and second arc carrying routes so as to be
stored in an overlapped state, wherein the first and second arc
carrying routes are arranged on upper and lower sides of a line
component extending along a sheet carrying surface in the printing
device.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of carrying
rollers are provided to be placed in contact with or separated from
each other so that the carrying rollers are separated from each
other when a front end portion of the sheet that is carried along
the first arc carrying route passes through and after the front end
portion of the sheet passes, come in contact with the sheet and nip
and carry the sheet.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a continuous
concave-convex portion is formed on an outer peripheral surface of
an end side of one of the pair of carrying rollers along a
circumferential direction thereof, and the concave-convex portion
is brought into contact with the sheet.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper
which is provided in the second arc carrying route, moves along the
sheet carrying direction depending on a length of the sheet, and
comes in contact with and stops the front end portion of the
carried sheet.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the stopper is
provided on a rotation end portion of a stopper arm which rotates
about a spindle, and the spindle of the stopper arm is closer to
the second arc carrying route than a radial center of the second
arc carrying route.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of carrying
rollers sequentially nip and carry the sheets and after the sheets
are stored in the storage unit, are rotated in a reverse direction
to send out the sheets at once.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a
discharge unit that discharges the sheets sent out by the pair of
carrying rollers at once.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pair of carrying
rollers are separated from each other after the sheets are sent out
through the discharge unit.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the sheets are
nipped and carried in the reverse direction by the pair of carrying
rollers so as to be carried in and recovered when the sheets sent
out through the discharge unit are left for a predetermined
time.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a
recovery unit that accommodates the recovered sheets.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based upon and claims the benefit of
priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No.
2009-063401, filed Mar. 16, 2009, the entire contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus
mounted in, for example, an automatic teller machine.
BACKGROUND
[0003] This type of printing apparatus carries a sheet to a
printing unit along a carrying path and prints transaction
information on the sheet. In addition, after printing, the sheet is
discharged to a discharge unit so as to be received by a client.
However, there may be a case where a plurality of the sheets are
continuously carried to the printing unit so as to be printed. In
this case, in order that the client may easily receive the sheets,
the plurality of the sheets printed are temporarily stored in a
storage unit in an overlapped state. Then, the stored sheets are
taken out of the storage unit at once to be discharged to the
discharge unit (for example, refer to JP-A-2007-156406).
[0004] However, in a related art, the printed sheets are dropped by
their own weight to be stored in the storage unit in a vertical
direction. Therefore, a vertical space having a length of at least
the sheet is needed as the storage unit, so that there is a problem
in that a greater height of the apparatus is needed.
SUMMARY
[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an object of
the invention is to provide a printing apparatus which enables a
compact size and can properly carry and store sheets without
jamming.
[0006] According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a
printing apparatus including: a carrying device that continuously
carries sheets along a main carrying path; a printing device that
prints information on the sheets which are continuously carried
along the main carrying path; a storage unit that is configured by
a curved carrying route including first and second arc carrying
routes which are sequentially connected to a carry-out side of the
main carrying path along a sheet carrying direction; and a pair of
carrying rollers that nip and carry the sheets that are introduced
sequentially in the storage unit while curving the sheets along the
first and second arc carrying routes so as to be stored in an
overlapped state, wherein the first and second arc carrying routes
are arranged on upper and lower sides of a line component extending
along a sheet carrying surface in the printing device.
[0007] Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be
set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be
obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the
invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be
realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and
combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of
the invention, and together with the general description given
above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below,
serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a
configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of
the invention.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the
printing apparatus in a state where a stopper of FIG. 1 is moved to
an upstream side of a second arc carrying route.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating third and fourth
drive rollers and third and fourth pinch rollers of FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a drive control
system of the printing apparatus of FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state where a roll paper
printed in FIG. 1 is sent from a main carrying path along a curved
carrying route and cut.
[0014] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state where the sheet cut
in FIG. 5 is carried and stored in the curved carrying route.
[0015] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state where the sheet
following the sheet stored in FIG. 6 is sent to the curved carrying
route.
[0016] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state where the following
sheet of FIG. 7 is stored in the curved carrying route.
[0017] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state where a plurality
of the sheets stored in the curved carrying route of FIG. 8 is
being discharged through a discharge opening.
[0018] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the sheet which is
discharged through the discharge opening and left as is of FIG.
9.
[0019] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state where the sheet of
FIG. 10 is sent toward a recovery unit.
[0020] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state where the sheet
sent in FIG. 11 is recovered by the recovery unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in
detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0022] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a
printing apparatus mounted in an automatic teller machine according
to an embodiment of the invention.
[0023] Reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 denotes a roll paper loaded in
a roll paper loading unit 2. A front end portion of the roll paper
1 is carried along a main carrying path 3 drawn from the roll paper
loading unit 2. In addition, a sheet is not limited to the roll
paper, and a fanfold sheet may be employed. A carry-out end side of
the main carrying path 3 is connected to a curved carrying route 28
as a storage unit that stores the sheet curved to be carried. The
curved carrying route 28 includes a first arc carrying route 26
connected to the carry-out end side of the main carrying path 3 and
a second arc carrying route 27 connected to a carry-out end side of
the first arc carrying route 26.
[0024] On the main carrying path 3, along a sheet carrying
direction, first and second printing units 5a and 5b, a cutter unit
6, and first and second carrying roller units 7 and 8 as carrying
devices are sequentially arranged.
[0025] The first and second printing units 5a and 5b include
platens 11a and 11b opposed to each other with the main carrying
path 3 interposed therebetween and thermal heads 13a and 13b. The
thermal heads 13a and 13b are elastically biased toward the platens
11a and 11b by a head spring (not shown). The platens 11a and 11b
are driven by a platen drive motor 14 so as to rotate. The cutter
unit 6 includes a cutter 17 and a cutter drive motor (not shown)
that drives the cutter 17.
[0026] The first carrying roller unit 7 that nips and carries the
roll paper 1 includes a first drive roller 20 and a first pinch
roller 21 which are opposed to each other with the main carrying
path 3 interposed therebetween. The pinch roller 21 is elastically
biased toward the first drive roller 20 by a roller spring.
[0027] The second carrying roller unit 8 that nips and carries the
roll paper 1 includes a second driver roller 23 and a second pinch
roller 24 which are opposed to each other with the main carrying
path 3 interposed therebetween. The second pinch roller 24 is
elastically biased toward the second drive roller 23 by a roller
spring. The first and second drive rollers 20 and 23 are driven by
a first drive motor 51 so as to rotate.
[0028] On a downstream side of the second drive roller 23, a
flapper 25 biased by its own weight or by a weak spring is
provided. One end side of the flapper 25 is rotatably supported by
a spindle 25a, so that the flapper 25 rotates in a vertical
direction about the spindle 25a to open or close the carrying
path.
[0029] On a downstream side of the flapper 25, the first arc
carrying route 26 is provided, and on the first arc carrying route
26, a third drive roller 29 and a fourth drive roller 30 are
arranged. The third drive roller 29 and the fourth drive roller 30
are driven to rotate in normal and reverse directions by a second
drive motor 52.
[0030] The third and fourth drive rollers 29 and 30 are
respectively opposed to third and fourth pinch rollers 33 and 34.
The third and fourth pinch rollers 33 and 34 are pulled up by
tension springs (not shown) so as to be separated from the third
and fourth drive rollers 29 and 30.
[0031] A cam 54 is provided near the third and fourth pinch rollers
33 and 34 so that the third and fourth pinch rollers 33 and 34 are
pushed down by the rotation of the cam 54 via a plate spring (not
shown). Accordingly, the third and fourth pinch rollers 33 and 34
respectively come in contact with the third and fourth drive
rollers 29 and 30.
[0032] In addition, the cam 54 is rotated by a cam drive motor 55,
and on the basis of a degree of the rotation of the cam 54, the
third and fourth pinch rollers 33 and 34 are weakly or strongly
pressed against the third and fourth drive rollers 29 and 30 via a
plate spring.
[0033] In the vicinities of the flapper 25 and a flapper 36
described later, first and second detection sensors 22 and 35 that
detect a front end portion of the carried sheet are respectively
arranged. The first and second detection sensors 22 and 35 detect
the sheet and the cam 54 is rotated accordingly.
[0034] In addition, on one peripheral side of each of the third and
fourth drive rollers 29 and 30, as illustrated in FIG. 3,
concave-convex portions 29a and 30a each of which has a double
helical shape continuing along a circumferential direction are
formed. The concave-convex portions 29a and 30a come in contact
with the sheet and apply stable carrying forces to the sheet even
if the third and fourth pinch rollers 33 and 34 come in contact
with the third and fourth drive rollers 29 and 30 with a weak
force.
[0035] As illustrated in FIG. 1, on a downstream side of the fourth
drive roller 30, the flapper 36 is provided, and a lower end side
of the flapper 36 is rotated via a spindle 36a. The flapper 36 is
rotated in left and right directions by a flapper drive motor 37.
Accordingly, the carrying route is switched between the second arc
carrying route 27 and a recovery carrying path 46.
[0036] The above-mentioned second arc carrying route 27 is provided
on a downstream side of the flapper 36, and a stopper 39 which
comes in contact with the front end portion of the sheet that is
being carried so as to be stopped is provided on the second arc
carrying route 27. The stopper 39 is supported by a lower end
portion of a stopper arm 40, and the stopper arm 40 is rotated in
the normal and reverse directions by a stopper drive motor 41
depending on a length of the sheet. The stopper 39 moves along the
second arc carrying route 27 due to the rotation of the stopper arm
40. That is, in a case of a long sheet, the sheet is moved toward a
downstream side of the second arc carrying route 27, and in a case
of a short sheet, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the sheet is moved
toward an upstream side of the second arc carrying route 27 and is
then stopped.
[0037] A rotation center 40a of the stopper arm 40 is positioned to
be closer to the second arc carrying route 27 than a radial center
of the second arc carrying route 27. Accordingly, it is possible to
increase a radius of the second arc carrying route 27 and reduce a
curvature of the sheet as much as possible, thereby preventing
jamming of the sheet.
[0038] Moreover, in this case, since the radial centers of the
stopper arm 40 and the second arc carrying route 27 are different
from each other, the stopper 39 and the stopper arm 40 are slid to
vary a radius of the stopper 39.
[0039] On an inclined upper side of the second drive roller 23
provided on the main carrying path 3, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a
fifth pinch roller 43 is provided. The fifth pinch roller 43 is
placed in contact with or separated from the second drive roller 23
by a third drive motor 53.
[0040] A discharge opening (discharge portion) 44 that discharges
the sheet is provided above the second drive roller 23 and the
fifth pinch roller 43, and the discharge opening 44 is opened and
closed by a shutter 56. The shutter 56 is operated by the third
drive motor 53. Under the shutter 56, a discharge detection sensor
58 that detects the sheet that is being discharged is provided.
[0041] In addition, on the recovery carrying path 46 switched by
the second flapper 36, a recovery drive roller 48 and a pinch
roller 49 that is biased by a spring so as to come in pressing
contact with the recovery drive roller 48 are arranged. Below the
recovery drive roller 48 and the pinch roller 49, a recovery unit
50 is provided. The recovery drive roller 48 is driven by the
second drive motor 52 to rotate.
[0042] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a drive control
system of the printing apparatus.
[0043] The first and second detection sensors 22 and 35 and a
discharge detection sensor 58 are connected to a control unit 60
via a detection signal circuit. The platen drive motor 14, the
first to third drive motors 51, 52, and 53, the cam drive motor 55,
the flapper drive motor 37, and the stopper drive motor 41 are
connected to the control unit 60 via a control circuit.
[0044] The control unit 60 operates to drive the platens 11a and
11b, the first to fourth drive rollers 20, 23, 29, and 30, the
recovery drive roller 48, the shutter 56, the pinch roller 43, the
cam 54, the flapper 36, and the stopper 39 on the basis of
detection signals of the first and second detection sensors 22 and
35 or the discharge detection sensor 58.
[0045] Next, operations of the printing apparatus configured as
described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5
to 12.
[0046] First, as illustrated in FIG. 1, in a state where a front
end side of the roll paper 1 is nipped by the platens 11a and 11b
and the thermal heads 13a and 13b, the platen drive motor 14 is
driven. As the platen drive motor 14 is driven, the roll paper 1 is
nipped and carried by the platens 11a and 11b and the thermal heads
13a and 13b, and transaction information is printed on front and
rear surfaces of the roll paper 1 by heat of the thermal heads 13a
and 13b. The printed roll paper 1 is nipped and carried by the
first drive roller 20 and the first pinch roller 21 as illustrated
in FIG. 5, and is then nipped and carried by the second drive
roller 23 and the second pinch roller 24. The front end portion of
the carried roll paper 1 pushes up and passes through the flapper
25 and then passes through a gap between the third drive roller 29
and the third pinch roller 33 and a gap between the fourth drive
roller 30 and the fourth pinch roller 34. Here, the third and
fourth pinch rollers 33 and 34 are separated from the third and
fourth drive rollers 29 and 30. When the front end portion of the
roll paper 1 is detected by the second detection sensor 35, the cam
drive motor 55 is operated to operate the cam 54. Accordingly, the
plate spring (not shown) is bent, so that the third and fourth
pinch rollers 33 and 34 come in contact with the third and fourth
drive rollers 29 and 30 by a weak pinch force so as to nip and
carry the roll paper 1. When the roll paper 1 is carried for a
predetermined distance, it is cut by the operation of the cutter 17
so as to be carried as a sheet P1. Here, the stopper drive motor 41
is operated such that the stopper 39 is moved along the second arc
carrying route 27 depending on a length of the sheet P1 via the
stopper arm 40. The front end portion of the carried sheet P1 comes
in contact with the stopper 39 and stops as illustrated in FIG. 6.
At this time, a rear end portion of the sheet P1 is at a position
that passes through the flapper 25.
[0047] After the first sheet P1 stops, by the same operation
described above, the following roll paper 1 is nipped and carried
by the platens 11a and 11b and the thermal heads 13a and 13b, and
transaction information is printed on front and rear surfaces of
the roll paper 1 by heat of the thermal heads 13a and 13b. In
addition, the roll paper 1 is nipped and carried by the first drive
roller 20 and the first pinch roller 21, and is then nipped and
carried by the second drive roller 23 and the second pinch roller
24. Due to the carriage, as illustrated in FIG. 7, a front end
portion of the following roll paper 1 pushes up and passes through
the flapper 25 and then passes through a gap between the third and
fourth drive rollers 29 and 30 and the preceding sheet P1. Here,
the third and fourth pinch rollers 33 and 34 are separated from the
third and fourth drive rollers 29 and 30 by a tensile force of the
tension spring. On the basis of the detection of the front end
portion of the roll paper 1 by the second detection sensor 35, the
cam drive motor 55 is operated to operate the cam 54 and the plate
spring (not shown) is bent, so that the third and fourth pinch
rollers 33 and 34 come in contact with the third and fourth drive
rollers 29 and 30 by a weak pinch force via the preceding sheet 21
and the following roll paper 1, while the carrying of the roll
paper 1 is continued. When the roll paper 1 is carried for a
predetermined distance, the cutter 17 is operated to cut the sheet
by the same length as that of the preceding sheet 21 so as to be
carried as a sheet 22.
[0048] During the carrying of the sheet P2, the stopper 39 is in
the stopped state as is, and as illustrated in FIG. 8, a front end
portion of the sheet P2 comes in contact with the stopper 39 and
stops. As the sheet P2 stops, rear ends of the preceding sheet P1
and the following sheet P2 are justified. When there are three or
more sheets, similarly, the carriage is repeated to print and store
a predetermined number of sheets.
[0049] Next, as described above, an operation of discharging the
stored sheets P1 and P2 will be described.
[0050] In this case, first, the third drive motor 53 is operated
from the state illustrated in FIG. 8 to open the shutter 56. Next,
the cam drive motor 55 is operated to rotate the cam 54 so that a
degree of bend of the plate spring (not shown) increases to allow
the third and fourth pinch rollers 33 and 34 to come in pressing
contact with the third and fourth drive rollers 29 and 30 so as to
apply a strong pinch force. After the pressing contact, the second
drive roller 23 is rotated in the normal direction and the third
and fourth drive rollers 29 and 30 are rotated in the reverse
direction. Accordingly, the sheets P1 and P2 on the first and
second arc carrying routes 26 and 27 are carried toward the
discharge opening 44 as illustrated in FIG. 9. When front ends of
the sheets P1 and P2 in the carrying direction pass through the
fifth pinch roller 43 and are detected by the discharge detection
sensor 58 due to the carriage, the third drive motor 53 is operated
and the fifth pinch roller 43 comes in pressing contact with the
second drive roller 23. The sheets 21 and 22 are nipped and carried
by the pressing contact and stopped at a time point when the front
end portions thereof in the carrying direction are carried out by a
predetermined length from the discharging opening 44. The sheets 21
and 22 of which the front end sides are discharged through the
discharge opening 44 are received by a user. In addition, during
the reception, in order that the user may easily pull out the
sheets 21 and 22, the third and fourth pinch rollers 33 and 34 are
separated from the third and fourth drive rollers 29 and 30 to be
in an opened state, so that only the fifth pinch roller 43 is in a
pinched state.
[0051] The sheets 21 and 22 carried out from the discharge opening
44 by a predetermined length are detected by the discharge
detection sensor 58. In addition, when the detected state continues
for a predetermined time or longer, it is determined that the user
does not take out the sheets 21 and P2 from the discharge opening
44, so that the sheets 21 and 22 are recovered.
[0052] When the sheets 21 and 22 are to be recovered, the third and
fourth pinch rollers 33 and 34 come in pressing contact with the
third and fourth drive rollers 29 and 30 so as to apply strong
pinch forces, and as illustrated in FIG. 10, the sheets P1 and P2
are additionally carried for a predetermined distance in a
discharge direction and are stopped when their lower ends pass
through the flapper 36. Thereafter, by the operation of the flapper
drive motor 37, the flapper 36 is rotated in the left direction
about the spindle 36a so as to switch the carrying route to the
recovery carrying path 46. The second drive roller 23 is rotated in
the reverse direction from this state, and the third and fourth
drive rollers 29 and 30 and the recovery drive roller 48 are
rotated in the normal direction. Accordingly, as illustrated in
FIG. 11, the sheets P1 and P2 are carried downwards and sent to the
recovery carrying path 46, and as illustrated in FIG. 12, are sent
to the recovery unit 50 so as to be recovered.
[0053] However, the first and second arc carrying routes 26 and 27
constituting the arc carrying route 28 are arranged in the vertical
direction on upper and lower sides of a line component 66 extending
along a sheet carrying surface 65 in the first printing unit 5a as
illustrated in FIG. 1.
[0054] That is, an upper side from the line component 66 is used as
an arrangement space of the first arc carrying route 26 and a lower
side from the line component 66 is used as an arrangement space of
the second arc carrying route 27, so that the first and second arc
carrying routes 26 and 27 can be arranged while being gently curved
in the wide spaces.
[0055] Therefore, the sheet is carried in the first and second arc
carrying routes 26 and 27 while being gently curved, so that the
sheets can be properly carried and stored without jamming.
[0056] In addition, when both the first and second arc carrying
routes 26 and 27 are arranged in, for example, the space lower than
the line component 66, the first and second arc carrying routes 26
and 27 have to be curved in the narrow space. In this case, the
first and second arc carrying routes 26 and 27 are significantly
curved, and the sheets are also significantly curved and carried,
so that proper carriage cannot be expected.
[0057] As described above, according to this embodiment, the
storage unit is configured by the curved carrying route 28
including the first and second arc carrying routes 26 and 27, and
the sheets P1 and P2 are stored in the curved state, so that the
vertical height of the sheet storage unit can be reduced, resulting
in a compact size.
[0058] In addition, since the first and second arc carrying routes
26 and 27 are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the line
component 66 extending along the sheet carrying surface 65 in the
first printing unit 5a, it is possible to arrange the first and
second arc carrying routes 26 and 27 while being gently curved in
the wide space. Therefore, the sheets can be carried in the gently
curved state, so that it is possible to properly carry the sheets
without jamming.
[0059] Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur
to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its
broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and
representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly,
various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit
or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the
appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *