U.S. patent number 3,843,253 [Application Number 05/339,732] was granted by the patent office on 1974-10-22 for automatic paper feed and cutting mechanism for photocopier machine.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Pitney-Bowes, Inc.. Invention is credited to Donald G. Mikan, Robert J. Williamson, Jr..
United States Patent |
3,843,253 |
Mikan , et al. |
October 22, 1974 |
AUTOMATIC PAPER FEED AND CUTTING MECHANISM FOR PHOTOCOPIER
MACHINE
Abstract
A dual roll paper supply is elevatable by a motor drive into a
position of easy access for replacement of depleted rolls and is
automatically retractable into operable engagement with paper
feeding and cutting mechanism within an automatic photocopier.
Automatic supply sensing means effects an immediate transfer of
paper feeding from a depleted roll to a second reserve roll within
the machine, while an electric control circuit including relays,
solenoids and microswitches effects cutting of uniform lengths of
paper for the electrostatic production of master copy plates.
Inventors: |
Mikan; Donald G. (Ridgefield,
CT), Williamson, Jr.; Robert J. (Hamden, CT) |
Assignee: |
Pitney-Bowes, Inc. (Stamford,
CT)
|
Family
ID: |
23330345 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/339,732 |
Filed: |
March 9, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
355/29;
242/564.4; 83/650; 355/28; 399/385; 242/563 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03G
15/6594 (20130101); G03G 15/6523 (20130101); Y10T
83/902 (20150401); G03G 2215/00518 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G03G
15/00 (20060101); G03g 015/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;355/28,29,16,13
;226/110 ;242/58,56R,55.3 ;83/203,205,650 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Greiner; Robert P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Soltow, Jr.; William D. Scribner;
Albert W. Meyer; Robert E.
Claims
Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is:
1. A multi-roll paper supply system for an electrostatic
photocopier comprising in combination:
A. a first paper feeding and cutting means including:
1. means rotatably mounting a first paper supply roll;
2. a first pair of rotatably driven pressure rolls on axes parallel
to said first paper supply roll and in proximity thereto;
3. a first normally de-energized electromagnetic clutch drive
mounted on at least one pressure roll of said first pair;
4. a first electromagnetic brake on said clutch driven roll;
5. a normally de-energized solenoid operated first knife blade
adjacent said driven rolls;
B. a second paper feeding and cutting means including
1. means rotatably mounting a second paper supply roll;
2. a second pair of rotatably driven pressure rolls on axes
parallel to said second paper supply roll and in proximity
thereto;
3. a second normally de-energized electromagnetic clutch drive
mounted on at least one pressure roll of said second pair;
4. a second electromagnetic brake on said clutch drive roll;
5. a normally de-energized solenoid operated second knife blade
adjacent said driven rolls;
C. motor means for continuously driving said first and second
clutches;
D. means normally energizing said first and second brakes into
holding condition whereby said first and second rolls are prevented
from rotation;
E. first control means operable upon command to selectively
de-energize said first brake and simultaneously therewith to
energize the corresponding first clutch mounted on the same one of
said first driven rolls, whereby paper from the first paper supply
roll is fed by said first pair of driven rolls into a focal plane
position of said photocopier;
F. first and second switches located in said focal plane position
operable by said paper passing thereover; said first and second
switches being located equal predetermined distances from said
first and second knife blades respectively;
G. second control means operable by said first switch to
de-energize said first clutch, energize said previously
de-energized first brake and energize said adjacent solenoid
operated first knife blade all substantially simultaneously,
whereby paper fed by said driven rolls is cut to a preselected
length as determined by the paper path length between said first
switch and said first knife blade;
H. third switch means in said focal plane operable by paper passing
thereover to initiate an electronic flash for image exposure;
I. paper supply sensors on each of said first and second supply
rolls; and
J. further control means responsive to said first sensor means
sensing a substantially empty first supply roll to permit said
second control means to be operable by said second switch to
de-energize said second clutch, energize said previously
de-energized second brake and selectively energize said adjacent
solenoid operated second knife blade all substantially
simultaneously, whereby paper is now fed to said focal plane
position by said second driven roll and is cut to a preselected
length as determined by the paper path length between said second
switch means and said second knife blade.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to improvements in electrostatic photocopier
machines, and more particularly to an improved supply, feed and
cutting mechanism whereby an entire day's supply of photo master
paper may be easily installed by an office worker, such as a
secretary or inexperienced clerk, simply through placing two
light-weight rolls of paper into a motorized carrier which is
automatically raised to a convenient waist-level height for loading
and then automatically retracted into the machine where it locks
itself into proper position for automatically feeding paper on
command from first one roll and, if and when that roll is used up,
the mechanism automatically switches to feeding paper from the
second, or reserve, roll. Upon switchover to the reserve roll,
sensors automatically change the cutting sequence time to assure
continuous cutting of uniform lengths of paper masters regardless
of differences in path length of the paper web from the first and
second supply rolls.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
A general object of the invention is to provide improved means for
rapid and automatic production of offset master plates in an
electrostatic copier machine.
Another object of the invention is to provide means for
continuously delivering a web of photosensitive paper into a
photocopier, cutting the web successively into uniform lengths for
platemaking, and transporting the exposed plates to a developing
station.
A more particular object of the invention is to provide a plurality
of supply rolls of photocopy paper in a mechanism whereby upon
depletion of one roll another roll immediately and automatically
feeds paper to the copier to provide an uninterrupted supply.
An ancillary object of the invention is to provide means for
automatically cutting the paper web into predetermined uniform
lengths regardless of differences in the path length over which the
paper is fed from the several supply rolls.
An additional object of the invention is to provide power driven
means for extracting the paper supply from the copier, raising the
supply mechanism to a convenient position exterior of the copier
for ease of replacing paper rolls, and then retracting the supply
into locking operative engagement with the paper feeding and
cutting means.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in
part appear hereinafter.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,
combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be
exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the
scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the
invention, reference should be had to the following detailed
description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the mechanism of the invention with
the raised position of a dual paper roll holder shown in broken
lines;
FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is another vertical sectional view taken along the line 3--3
of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical view of the paper feed and control
apparatus, seen generally in the right hand portion of FIG. 1,
showing in greater detail the paper path, paper hold, and control
microswitches;
FIG. 5 is a vertical end view of the apparatus of FIG. 4, partially
cut away;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of the paper cutter for the upper
feed roll as shown generally in FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of the paper cutter for the lower
feed roll as shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 8 is a detail of the clutch drive and stationary knife
blade;
FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 6;
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the control switches and related
circuitry; and
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the swing arm control for loading
and locking the paper supply system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now in greater detail to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the
drawings, a parallel pair of vertically disposed swingable arms
11a, 11b are pivotally supported on a horizontal shaft 12 mounted
on a rigid structure frame indicated generally at 14. In and
between the arms 11a, 11b is mounted a first driven pressure roller
15 in frictional engagement with a first idler roll 16, and a
corresponding second driven roller 17 engaged with a second idler
roll 18. Driven rollers 15 and 17 are each connected, respectively,
through electromagnetic clutches 19 and 20, chains 61, 61a, and a
gear train 61b to a main drive motor 21. Also mounted on and
supported by swing arms 11a, 11b are a first pair of cooperating
paper roll holders 22 and a second pair of cooperating paper roll
holders 24 thereabove as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The paper roll
holders are adapted to receive and rotatably support the hubs of
first and second rolls 25 and 26 of electrophotographically
sensitive paper. Pivotally mounted on swing arm 11a are a pair of
spring loaded feeler arms 27 and 28 carrying rollers 27a and 28a
positioned to bear upon the outer surfaces of paper rolls 25 and 26
and to operate associated microswitches whenever the outer diameter
of their respective paper rolls diminishes to the point that paper
on that roll has been depleted. For example, when the supply of
paper on roll 26 has been depleted, feeler arm 28 actuates
microswitch 29 mounted on arm 11a by depressing the switch tab 29a
which extends through an opening in the arm 11a. This disengages
first drive clutch 20 and simultaneously engages second drive
clutch 19 whereby paper web is fed from second supply roll 25
through the cutting and processing mechanism as will hereinafter be
described in detail. A corresponding switch 29' is provided for
similar cooperation with the sensing arm 27.
The sequential operational steps involved in loading the paper
supply system will now be described with specific reference to FIG.
1 of the drawings. The operator first moves a momentary spring
loaded manual switch 30 to its upward position which sumultaneously
energizes a solenoid 30a to release a latch 31 (FIG. 3) and
energize a swing arm drive motor 32 to operate in a forward
direction. Motor 32, through a right angle worm gear drive and
clutch 34 drives a chain 35 to rotate a sprocket wheel 36 which is
mounted by a bushing 37 and bolts 38 to arm 11a, whereby arms 11a,
11b are caused to swing upwardly (in a clockwise direction as seen
in FIG. 1) about the axis of shaft 12. The motor 32 continues to
operate only so long as the operator maintains finger pressure on
spring loaded switch 30, so that when the swing arms 11a, 11b are
elevated to their horizontal position as shown by broken lines in
FIG. 1 the switch 30 is released and motor 32 stops. The operator
then proceeds to remove and discard spent paper roll spindles and
to replace fresh rolls, such as 25 and 26, in holder pairs 22 and
24. The leading edge 39 of paper from roll 25 is passed between
rollers 15 and 16 (as seen more clearly in FIG. 3) by the operator
turning a knob 40 mounted on the end of roller 17 (FIG. 2). In the
same manner, the leading edge of paper from roll 26 is passed over
guide roller 41 through paper guide chute 42 and between rollers 17
and 18 by a slight turn of knob 44 which is mounted on the end of
roller 17. A brake 45 is mounted on the shaft of upper driven roll
17 adjacent to manual knob 44 to prevent wasting over-ride of this
drive roller when its electromagnetic clutch 20 is de-energized. A
similar brake 46 is mounted on the shaft of lower driven roller 15,
adjacent to manual knob 40, to accomplish the same purpose when
clutch 19 is disengaged. Thus the clutch 20 in combination with
brake 45 cooperate to produce positive limited driving action of
paper drive roll 17, and in the same manner clutch 19 cooperates in
combination with brake 46 to provide positive limited driving
action of lower drive roll 15. The manual knobs 40 and 44 over-ride
the respective clutches 19-20 and the brakes 45-46 when the
operator initially loads the machine with paper rolls 25 and 26 to
start the leading edges of paper from the two rolls into the bite
between the two driving rolls 15 and 17 and their respective
pressure engaging idler rolls 16 and 18. With the proper supply
thus loaded, the operator then merely depresses momentary switch 30
which energizes swing arm drive motor 32 to operate in reverse
thereby lowering swing arms 11a, 11b (in a counter-clockwise
direction about shaft 12) until they are retracted into the base of
the machine as shown by solid lines in FIG. 1. When the latch 31
(FIG. 3) engages, the paper supply assembly mounted on arms 11a,
11b is locked into operative position and the machine is ready to
produce electrostatic master copies as will now be described.
Referring now to FIG. 3 of the drawings the paper supply assembly
indicated generally at 13 includes two substantially identical
paper drive and cutting systems 47 and 48 mounted on and between
swing arms 11a, 11b. The first and lowermost paper drive system 47
includes an input paper guideway 49 through which the leading edge
of paper from roll 25 is inserted by the operator into the bite
between driving pressure rolls 15 and 16 at the time of loading as
described above. Subsequently when the driven roll 15 is rotated by
a chain drive 61 (FIG. 2), when the control circuit of FIG. 10
calls for paper feed, the leading edge 39 of paper web from roll 25
is driven by rollers 15-16 past the open knife edge 50 into the
bite of drive rollers 51-52, thence through guideway 53 into the
bite of drive rollers 54-55, through guideway 56 into an
electrostatic charging box 57, and from there into the bite of
drive rollers 59-60. It is to be understood that the successive
driven rollers in this path, 15, 51, 54 and 59 are all driven
simultaneously and at the same rate by the common drive chain 61,
through clutch 19 as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings.
Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, as the paper web exits
from between drive rollers 59-60 of paper supply assembly 13 it
engages an upwardly curved guide 62 which deflects the paper web
upwardly into engagement with the front surface of a vertical
moving belt conveyor indicated generally at 64. Belt 64 moves in a
clockwise direction (as seen in FIG. 4) around an upper roller 65
and a lower roller 66. At least one of the rollers 65 or 66 is
driven by a suitable drive belt, and preferably both are driven as
shown by broken lines in FIG. 1. The vertical conveyor belt 64 is
actually formed of a plurality of separate parallel flexible
pierced bands 67, 68 and 69 having parallel vertical spaces 70-71
therebetween, as shown in FIG. 5. The several belts, 67, 68 and 69
which comprise the conveyor 64 pass through openings in a plenum
chamber 73 so that the upwardly moving portion of the belt overlies
the left surface of the chamber (as seen in FIG. 4). This surface
is pierced with openings 72 and a pair of vacuum fans 74 and 75 are
mounted on chamber 73 whereby vacuum is created between the front
and back of conveyor 64 to hold the paper web flat against the
exposed face of the conveyor belt 64. Mounted on the front portion
of chamber 73 in the vertical space 70 between belts 67 and 68 are
vertically disposed microswitches 76, 77 and 78, each in a position
to be operated by the leading edge of paper web as the same is
moved vertically upward by the conveyor belt assembly 64. The upper
microswitch 76 actuates a short duration high intensity electronic
flashlight to expose an optical image of copy focused on the
vertical master paper held by carrier 64, while the lower
microswitches 77 and 78 respectively operate the number one knife
50' in cutter assembly 47 or the number 2 knife 80' in cutter
assembly 48, depending upon whether the paper web at any given time
is being fed from lower roll 25 or from upper roll 26. The vertical
distance between microswitches 77 and 78 corresponds to the
difference in paper path length from lower cutter assembly 47 and
the longer path of paper from upper cutter assembly 48.
Referring once again to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 it will be seen that the
paper cutting systems 47 and 48 mounted on the paper supply
assembly 13 (FIG. 3) each include a pair of horizontally extending
knife blades, 50 and 50' and 80-80' respectively. Blades 50' and
80' are movable, while blades 50 and 80 are stationary. Both blades
of each cutting system are normally spring biased into their open
(separated) positions whereby the paper web passes fully
therebetween as it is driven forward by the paper drive rollers.
When paper is being fed into the machine from the lower paper
supply roll 25 the microswitch 78 (FIG. 4) is deactivated by the
control circuit of FIG. 10 and the paper web is carried by the
vertical conveyor belt 64 upwardly to the point where the leading
edge of paper passes over microswitch 77 which causes energization
of solenoid 81 (FIG. 2) which actuates linkage 81a to operate
movable knife blade 50' into cutting engagement with stationary
knife blade 50 whereby the prescribed length of paper for one
exposure is cut. The cut length of paper continues to move
upwardly, being held flat against the front surface of vertical
conveyor 64 (FIG. 4) by the vacuum therebehind until the entire cut
sheet of master paper is in position for exposure. At this position
the upper edge of paper on carrier 64 passes over microswitch 76
causing instantaneous operation of the high intensity electronic
flash which produces an exposure in less than 1/1000 second focused
onto the plane of the vertically moving sensitized sheet. The
exposed sheet continues its upward travel on the support of
continuously moving vertical carrier 64 and the leading edge of
exposed paper is funnelled into a vertical guideway 84 and into the
bite of driving pressure rollers 85 and 86, thence between driving
rollers 87 and 88 and through a curved guideway 89 into a
developing system (not shown). Immediately upon the completion of
one exposure by the actuation of microswitch 76 as described above,
the apparatus is ready to produce another master in the same
manner.
When the supply of paper on supply roll 25 has been exhausted, the
follower arm 27 (FIG. 3) depresses the tab 29a' of microswitch 29'
(FIG. 1) which extends through an opening in swing arm 11a. This
operates to energize a relay in the control circuit of FIG. 10
whereby power is removed from driving rollers 15 and 51 of cutting
system 47 and driving power is applied to driving rollers 17 and 23
of upper cutting system 48. Because of interlocking relay
connections in the control circuit of FIG. 10 this condition can
only occur following a cutting operation by knife blades 50--50'
(the last full sheet cut from roll 25) so that no paper remains in
the path from cutter system 47. Since the leading edge of paper web
from fresh supply roll 26 was initially fed into the bite between
driven roller 17 and pressure roller 18 when the operator loaded
the paper supply assembly 13 as described above, this web of paper
is now driven through the space between open knife blades 80--80'
and into the bite of rollers 23-33 and thence into the upper
guideway 91, through rollers 54-55, through electrostatic charging
box 57 and rollers 59-60, and onto the bottom guide 62 of the
vertical conveyor system 64 (FIG. 4). This moving web of paper, now
coming from the upper reserve supply roll 26, is carried upwardly
in FIG. 4 by the vacuum carrier belt 64 and when the leading edge
of paper web passes over microswitch 78 the second solenoid 82 is
energized to operate knife blade 80' which cuts the web to a length
as predetermined for one master sheet to be exposed. As mentioned
above, the path length from knife blade 80 to microswitch 78 is the
same as the path length from knife blade 50 to microswitch 77, so
that sheets of equal length are cut regardless of which supply roll
is feeding paper. Because of the interlocking circuitry of the
electrical control system shown in FIG. 10, the circuit of
microswitch 77 which controls the first cutter 50' is deactivated
when paper is being fed from the reserve roll 26. The sheet of
sensitized paper which has now been cut by knife blade 80 continues
its vertical travel along vacuum conveyor 64 until the leading edge
intercepts microswitch 76 and an exposure is made, and then the
exposed sheet is passed on to the developer as described
hereinabove.
The means by which the various electromechanical elements such as
clutches, brakes, driven rollers, solenoids and cutters, etc. are
controlled to operate in the sequential order as described
hereinabove will now be explained in greater detail with particular
reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. 10. The condition shown
in FIG. 10 is for operation of paper feed from the upper roll 26 as
illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. Two control relays K-1 and
K-2 are employed to operate the entire switching system. Relay K-1
is a bistable latching relay having two separate operating coils 94
and 95, each with five sets of form C single pole double throw
contacts. Relay K-2 is a double pole double throw relay having a
single operating coil 96. A third relay K-3 may be a light reed
relay which merely supplies a trigger pulse for the command to
print. For ease of understanding the several relay contacts are
shown physically disassociated from their respective operating
coils in the schematic of FIG. 10. AC operating power for the
entire system of FIG. 10 is supplied over lines 91-92. For
operation of paper feed from the lower roll 25 (FIG. 3) the
positions of the contacts of relay K-1 are merely reversed from the
condition shown in FIG. 10.
Still referring to FIG. 10, the coil designated L8 is the
energizing coil for the upper brake 45 in FIG. 2, L9 is the
energizing coil for lower brake 46, L10 is the energizing coil for
the upper clutch 20, and L11 is the energizing coil for the lower
clutch 19. The brake coils L8 and L9, and the clutch coils L10 and
L11 are all DC operated and accordingly direct current power is
supplied for each of L8 through L11 by full wave rectifiers CR1
through CR4 as shown in FIG. 10. The brake operating circuits each
have an R-C network, C1-R1 for L8 and C2-R2 for L9, to enable
instantaneous application of maximum operating voltage for positive
instant braking operation. Thus, employing brakes designed for 24
volt operation, a maximum initial surge of approximately 90 volts
is applied from full wave rectifier CR1 until capacitor C1 is fully
charged, at which time resistor R1 drops the brake holding voltage
to the prescribed value of 24 volts. Network C2-R2 operates in the
same manner when lower brake coil L9 is energized. Brake coil L8
operates to stop and lock the upper brake 45 (FIG. 2) which is
mounted on the upper driven roller 17 (FIG. 3), and coil L9
operates in the same manner on brake 46 of lower driven roller 15.
The brake coils L8 and L9 are normally energized. Brake coils L8
and L9 are only de-energized during paper feeding. Operation of the
drive clutch coils L10 and L11 is initiated by a command to print
when the operator closes a print switch connected to reed relay
K-3. A start pulse generated by closure of K-3 turns on triac gate
Q3 through a resistor R11. Operation of Q3 energizes coil 96 of
relay K-2. Relay K-2 is then locked in through the upper roll cut
switch 78, normally closed contact of relay K-1, and a normally
open contact of K2 as shown in FIG. 10.
Operation of relay K-2 simultaneously de-energizes upper brake coil
L8 and energizes upper clutch coil L10. Closure of relay K-2
applied DC charging current to a capacitor C3 from a voltage
divider formed by R6 and R7 through a diode rectifier D3 until a
charge of approximately 15-20 volts is built up on capacitor C3.
When the knife switch 78 (FIG. 4) is operated by the leading edge
of paper passing thereover, relay K-2 drops out and the charge
previously built up on capacitor C3 triggers triac gate Q1 which
energizes the upper knife solenoid 82 as shown in FIG. 10. Knife
solenoid 82 remains energized until capacitor C3 has fully
discharged through R4 and R5 and Q1 is released.
An optical coupler OC1 which is energized when bistable latching
relay K-1 is in the state shown in FIG. 10 supplies a signal to a
display board to indicate to an operator when either or both rolls
of paper have been exhausted. The single pole double throw switch
S15 in FIG. 10 is the microswitch 29 operated by follower arm 28
which rides on the surface of the upper paper supply roll 26 as
described hereinbefore with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 of the
drawings. While the upper roll is supplying paper switch S15
remains in the position shown in FIG. 10. However, when this supply
roll is almost exhausted and the feeler arm has moved in
substantially to the paper roll core, S15 transfers to the number 2
contact thereby conditioning coil 94 of relay K-1 to transfer to
its second bistable state. Relay K-1, however, can only operate
during a cut cycle when switch 78 is open because otherwise the K2
contact between C3 and relay coil 94 is open. So upon receipt of
the next command to print, this K2 contact closes, connecting C3 to
coil 94, relay K-1 transfers to its second state and thereafter
paper supply is fed from the lower roll. At this time one signal
lamp is lighted on the display board, through energization of
optical coupler OC1, to signal the operator that one fresh roll of
paper may now be added to replace the exhausted upper roll.
Resistor R5 is a dummy load simulating the impedance of coil 94 of
relay K-1 whereby a constant discharge rate is assured for
capacitor C3 regardless of the position of switch S15. R9 is a
similar dummy load for coil 95.
The lower roll operation of braking, clutching and cutting is
carried out by the lower brake L9, the lower clutch L11, the lower
knife solenoid 81 and the lower roll cut switch 77, through K-1 in
its second state, in exactly the same manner as described above in
reference to the mode of upper roll operation. If the lower supply
roll of paper should now be used up before the exhausted paper roll
has been replaced, follower switch S16 which is the microswitch 29'
operated by follower arm 27 as described hereinbefore with
reference to FIGS. 1 and 3 will then transfer to the opposite
condition shown in FIG. 10 and a second signal light will by
illuminated on the display board through operation of optical
coupler OC2. In this condition further printing is inhibited and,
if desired, an alarm may be sounded to call the operator to
replenish the paper roll supplies. The lowermost pair of relay
contacts on relay K-1 as shown in FIG. 10 operate signal lamps 97
or 98 which indicate the mode in which the apparatus is operating
at any given time, and to indicate to an operator whether the upper
or lower supply roll should next be loaded.
Reference is now had to FIG. 11 of the drawings which shows
schematically the electrical control circuit for raising and
lowering the paper supply system as described generally hereinabove
with reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings. In FIG. 11 a single pole
double throw switch 30 is manually operable in its upward position
to cause the swing arm drive motor 32 to elevate the paper roll
carrier from within the copier machine (as shown by broken lines in
FIG. 1), and in its downward position switch 30 reverses motor 32
to lower the paper supply carrier into operating position within
the copier machine. Switch 30 is spring biased to normally remain
in its neutral center position as shown in FIG. 11. One side of the
AC power line, designated AC Hi, is connected to the single pole
armature of switch 30 and the other side of the power line,
designated AC Lo, is connected to the motor 32 as shown. A control
relay K6 having two normally open contacts and one normally closed
contact is connected between the lower terminal of switch 30 and
the AC Lo line. For simplicity of exposition the three contacts of
relay K6 are shown physically disassociated from the K6 operating
coil in FIG. 11. A latch switch S-39 which is associated with the
drawn carriage latch 31 in FIG. 3 is operated, as is the latch 31,
by a solenoid 30a connected between the upper contact of switch 30
and the AC Lo line. When the operator raises switch 30 a circuit is
closed thereby to energize solenoid 30a which immediately releases
latch 31 (FIG. 3) and then closes switch S-39 to apply power
through the normally closed contact of relay K6 to the upper side
of motor 32, causing the motor to elevate the paper supply carriage
as shown in FIG. 1. An upper limit switch S-36 is mechanically
intercepted by the rising paper carriage when the swing arms reach
their uppermost position as shown by broken lines in FIG. 1, to
disconnect power from motor 32. Thus switch S-36 prevents any
inadvertent over-riding of motor 32 and possible damage to the
machine in the event that the operator may hold the switch 30 in
its raised position longer than necessary to fully elevate the
carriage.
After the paper supply roll or rolls are replaced by the operator,
switch 30 is then manually depressed momentarily to close its lower
contact and thereby cause motor 32 to operate in the opposite
direction whereby the swing arm carriage is lowered back into its
normal operating position within the copier machine as shown by
solid lines in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 of the drawings. Closure of the
lower contact of switch 30 energizes the coil of relay K6 which now
opens its normally closed contact and closes both of its normally
open contacts. AC power is now applied through closed relay K6 to
the lower side of motor 32 causing it to operate in the reverse
direction to lower the paper supply carriage. When the carriage has
been lowered to an angle of 45 degrees, a mechanical switch S-37 is
closed by engagement with the frame of the copier and relay K6 now
locks in through one of now closed but normally open contacts so
that the relay K6 remains operated even when the operator releases
switch 30. Motor 32 continues to lower the carriage until it is
seated into its lowermost operating position, as shown by solid
lines in FIG. 1, latch 31 (FIG. 3) locks and lower limit switch
S-38 opens, de-energizing relay K6 and motor 32.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those
made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently
attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above
construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it
is intended that all matter contained in the above description or
shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as
illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended
to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention
which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall
therebetween.
* * * * *