Copying apparatus

Claim 2

A copying apparatus of the type wherein an image of an original is developed on a moving image retaining member and the image transferred to a cut sheet of final support material including a plurality of supply trays for supporting individual stacks of cut sheets of final support material, sheet separating and forwarding means operatively associated with each of said supply trays for separating individual sheets from a stack and advancing the sheet to an image transfer station, drive means operatively associated with each of said separating and forwarding means, said drive means being arranged to move in predetermined timed relation with said moving member, a normally decoupled clutch means interposed between sad drive means and each of said sheet separating and forwarding means for coupling and decoupling said drive means from said separating and forwarding means, programmer means to couple one of said clutches to said drive means for a period of time wherein a single sheet of final support material is forwarded from a preselected stack into the transfer station in timed relation with an image on the moving member wherein the image is transferred from said member to said copy sheet.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said clutch means comprises an electromagnetic clutch actuated by a switching means operatively associated with said programmer means.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said drive means includes a shaft, means to rotate said shaft at a predetermined rate in relation to the moving image retaining member, a plurality of cam members equal to the number of support trays and being secured to said shaft, said cam members being operatively connected to each of said separating and forwarding means and arranged to translate a motion to each of said separating and forwarding means whereby a sheet forwarded from any of said plurality of trays moves into the transfer station in synchronous timed relation with the image on the moving member.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 further including sheet registering means positioned adjacent to the transfer station and being arranged to register individual sheets prior to the sheets being advanced into the transfer station.

Claim 6

In a coping apparatus of the type wherein a latent image of an original is formulated and developed on a moving image retaining member and the developed image transferred to a cut sheet of final support material, the apparatus having a sheet transport means to move individual cut sheets of final support material along a predetermined path of travel through a series of sheet processing stations including a transfer station wherein the individual cut sheets are moved into contact with the image retaining member in synchronous relation with a developed image thereon and the image transferred from the surface to the cut sheet and an image fixing station wherein the image is affixed to the cut sheets, the improvement comprising a series of vertically aligned sheet supply trays for supporting individual stacks of cut sheets of final support material in substantially a horizontal position including an upper supply tray and a lower supply tray each having individual sheet separating and forwarding means associated therewith for separating the uppermost sheet in a stack and forwarding the sheet to the sheet transport means, drive means operatively related to each of said separating and forwarding means and being arranged to move in predetermined timed relation with the moving image retaining member, a normally decoupled clutch means interposed between said drive means and each of said sheet separating and forwarding means for coupling and decoupling said drive means from said forwarding and separating means, programmer means to couple one of said clutches to said drive means for a period wherein a single sheet of final support material is forwarded from a preselected stack to the sheet transport means in timed relation with an image on the moving image retaining member, sheet conveyor means positioned between the final sheet processing station and a sheet receiving station for conveying individual sheets therebetween and having means associated therewith movable to a position wherein a first imaged sheet leaving the final processing station is, in the alternative, directed into said upper supply tray, control means to condition the apparatus to store first imaged sheets of final support material in an orientation to be refed through the sheet processing stations including switching means to condition said programmer means to feed sheets of support material from said lower tray through the sheet processing stations, means to selectively position said sheet conveyor means in a position wherein first imaged sheets leaving the sheet processing stations are forwarded into the upper tray, and means to condition the upper tray to receive and restack sheets forwarded therein in a position to be refed once again through the sheet processing stations wherein a second image is placed on the side of the sheet opposite the side receiving said first image.

Claim 7

In a coping apparatus of the type wherein a latent image of an original is formulated and developed on a moving image retaining member and the developed image transferred to a cut sheet of final support material, the apparatus having a sheet transport means to move individual cut sheets of final support material along a predetermined path of travel through a series of sheet processing stations including a transfer station wherein the individual cut sheets are moved into contact with the image retaining member in synchronous relation with a developed image thereon and the image transferred from the surface to the cut sheet and an image fixing station wherein the image is affixed to the cut sheets, the improvement comprising a series of vertically aligned sheet supply trays for supporting individual stacks of cut sheets of final support material in substantially a horizontal position including an upper supply tray and a lower supply tray each having individual sheet separating and forwarding means associated therewith for separating the uppermost sheet in a stack and forwarding the sheet to the sheet transport means, drive means operatively related to each of said separating and forwarding means and being arranged to move in predetermined timed relation with the moving image retaining member, a normally decoupled clutch means interposed between said drive means and each of said sheet separating and forwarding means for coupling and decoupling said drive means from said forwarding and separating means, programmer means to couple one of said clutches to said drive means for a period wherein a single sheet of final support material is forwarded from a preselected stack to the sheet transport means in timed relation with an image on the moving image retaining member, sheet conveyor means positioned between the final sheet processing station and a sheet receiving station for conveying individual sheets therebetween and having means associated therewith movable to a position wherein a first imaged sheet leaving the final processing station is, in the alternative, directed into said upper supply tray, control means to condition the apparatus to store first imaged sheets of final support material in an orientation to be refed through the sheet processing stations including switching means to condition said programmer means to feed sheets of support material from said lower tray through the sheet processing stations, means to selectively position said sheet conveyor means in a position wherein first imaged sheets leaving the sheet processing stations are forwarded into the upper tray, and means to condition the upper tray to receive and restack sheets forwarded therein in a position to be refed once again through the sheet processing stations wherein a second image is placed on the side of the sheet opposite the side receiving said first image.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said means to separate and forward individual sheets from the stacks includes a pair of feed rolls being arranged to ride in friction driving contact with the uppermost sheet in the individual stacks.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said means to condition the upper tray includes elevating means to raise said feed rolls above the height of the stack wherein the first imaged sheets forwarded into said upper supply tray.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 further including means operable upon the restacking of the first imaged sheets to condition said apparatus to feed said first imaged sheets through the sheet processing stations and deliver said sheets to the sheet receiving station.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 5 further including sheet registering means positioned adjacent to the sheet transfer station to register sheets being transported by said sheet transport means prior to their delivery to said sheet transfer station.