US3409366A

US3409366A - Multiple copy arrangement for photocopy machines

Info

Publication number: US3409366A
Application number: US576920A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter J Hanson; Ludwigson George
Original assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc
Current assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc
Priority date: 1966-09-02
Filing date: 1966-09-02
Publication date: 1968-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 1985-11-05
Also published as: DE1597724A1; DE1597724B2; GB1204707A; SE328767B; CH451689A

Description

Nov. 5, 1968 w. J. HANSON ETAL 3,409,366

MULTIPLE COPY ARRANGEMENT FOR PHOTOCOPY MACHINES Filed Sept. 2, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 I 177 a H 4a"! 5 10 ma \QZL ;5 22 06 V {30 159/ 1 25 of 9??? A 144 50H w INVENTORS Ge 0 r Ludwi son (J BY at GT 3 emson 1968 W. J. HANSON ETAL 3,

MULTIPLE COPY ARRANGEMENT FOR PHOTOCOPY MACHINES Filed Sept. 2, 1966 2 h tshe 2 jfi 6 INVENTORS GeoYge Ludw (9 30):. Y Walter I Hangp'n ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,409,366 MULTIPLE COPY ARRANGEMENT FOR PHOTOCOPY MACHINES Walter J. Hanson, Old Greenwich, Conn., and George Ludwigson, Yonkers, N.Y., assignors to Pitney-Bowes,

Inc, Stamford, Comm, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 576,920 17 Claims. (Cl. 355-402) This invention relates to a novel arrangement for recirculating originals through a photocopy machine. More particularly the invention relates to an improved multiple copy arrangement for photocopy machines whereby an original may be selectively recirculated along one of a plurality of possible original sheet feed paths.

Some known types of photocopy machines provide means for automatically recirculating an original through the machine so as to successively move the original through an illuminating station and thereby automatically obtain a desired number of repeat copies of the same original. Each such photocopy machine is provided with a single effectively closed loop original sheet feed path which can accommodate originals having variable lengths up to a predetermined maximum. One difficulty associated with this conventional type of original recirculating arrangement is that it takes just about as long to obtain a given number of automatic repeat copies of a relatively short-length original as it does to obtain the same number of automatic copies of a relatively longlength original. This condition is imposed by the fact that all originals, short or long, must travel along the same single recirculating sheet feed path. Thus when several automatic repeat copies of a relatively shortlength original are desired there may be only a relatively short total length of time when the machine is actually producing copy; considerable wasted time being consumed in merely ransporting the short original over long dead portions of the recirculating sheet feed path. The time delay apparent here can be bothersome to a machine operator who in this situation must simply wait i for the photocopy machine to slowly generate the desired number of repeat copies. The instant invention contemplates eliminating the heretofore frequent time delays associated with the production of automatic repeat copies of originals having widely varying lengths.

The primary object of the instant invention is to make possible a photocopy machine having an automatic repeat copy arrangement which will reduce the time required to produce a given number of repeat copies-of a relatively short-length original.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic repeat copy arrangement for a photocopy machine whereby an original that is to be automatically copied several times may be recirculated through one of a plurality of original sheet feed paths.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet handling system for a photocopy machine whereby an original to be copied may be moved along one of a plurality of recirculating paths having different effective lengths.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel original sheet handling system for a photocopy machine whereby a given original that is to be automatically copied a given number of times may be recirculated through a selected one of a plurality of possible feed paths, the particular feed path followed being dependent on the length of said original.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel automatic repeat copy arrangement for a photocopy machine whereby a given original is sensed as to a physical condition thereof and is then recirculated through a selected one of a plurality of recycling original sheet ice feed paths, the selected path depending on the sensed condition of said original.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the disclosure progresses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sketch illustrating the concept of the instant original sheet feed path arrangement.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional side elevational showing the structural nature and arrangement of the instant apparatus for recirculating an original through one of a plurality of original sheet feed paths.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational sectional view taken along section line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a partial front elevational sectional view taken along section line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view in partial section and illustrates the two operative positions of the path selection gate.

FIG. 6 is a partial front elevational view taken along section line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a sketch illustrating a circuit diagram and related control apparatus associated with the instant device.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sketch illustrating the nature of the instant multiple recycle path arrangement. Here when the machine is conditioned to make single copies of originals, an original is being manually fed into the machine moves along an initial portion 10 of a main feed path 11 and is then directed towards and through the terminal portion 12 of said main path to the outlet station of the machine. The original is illuminated by well known means (not shown) at an illuminating or irradiating station 13 prior to moving to said outlet station. This type of operation and arrangement is conventional in nature and need not be further discussed here.

Means are provided for automatically recirculating an original back into the main feed path 11 when it is desired to produce several copies of the same original, such means including a first gating means 15 that may be conditioned so that the original after passing the illuminating station 13 will be recycled along a path indicated at 16 so as to enable the original to be conducted back through the illuminating station a desired number of times. A second gating means 17 is provided so that an original may take one of two possible feed paths in being recirculated through said illuminating station. Gating means 17 is normally set in a first position so as to direct the original along a relatively short recirculating feed path, as indicated at 18, but may be set to a second position by a solenoid 19, FIG. 1, so as to direct the original along a relatively long recirculating feed path as indicated at 20. Which one of these two possible feed paths is taken by any given original is determined by a physical condition, e.g. length, of that original. To this end a sensing means is provided for sensing the length of an original and for accordingly setting the gating means 17 to the proper position; this sensing means including a pair of normally open electrical switches A and B that are operatively positioned along the sheet feed paths, as shown in FIG. 1. The switches A and B are located a predetermined effective distance apart so that when an original which is longer than this distance is initially recycled switch A will still be closed by the time the leading edge of the original closes switch B and under these conditions a solenoid will be energized through suitable circuitry so as to shift the gating means 17 and direct the original along said relatively long recirculating sheet feed path indicated at 20. On the other hand when an original which is shorter than said effective switch distance is initially recycled the trailing end of this original 3 1 I will have ridden off and thus opened the switch A before the leading edge thereof closes the switch 'B hence solenoid 19 will not be energized and this relatively short original will follow along the short original sheet feed path indicated at 18. By this arrangement and control it will be seen that an original may be conducted along the appropriate one of a plurality of possible recirculating paths, thereby avoiding the situation where bothersome time delays are incurred when feeding a relatively short lengthed original over a relatively long recycle feed path. Thus a photocopy machine equipped with the instant multiple recycled path arrangement will be capable of producing copies of relatively short lengthed originals faster than those machines having the conventional type single recycle path arrangement illustrated by British Patent No. 1,023,541.

FIGS. 27 illustrate one specific embodiment of the instant invention which provides a multiple recycle path arrangement corresponding to that generally described above in connection with FIG. 1. Only that much of the structure of a photocopy machine which is pertinent to the instant recycling apparatus are shown in the drawings and it will be understood that unless otherwise'stated the various parts illustrated may be constructed, supported and/ or arranged in any suitable manner well known in the art. Referring particularly to FIGS. 2-6 there is shown a machine frame comprising a base 31 on which is fixedly secured a pair of parallel

unstanding side frames

32 and 33. Mounted on and between the said side frames is a horizontaly disposed upper deck pate 35, the pate 35 being located just below the upper edges of the said

side frames

32, 33 as is illustrated in FIG. 3. A deflector plate 36 is mounted on and between said side frames, this plate having an upstream portion 37 that is disposed substantially parallel to the plate 35, and an arcuate downstream portion 40. A guide element 41 supported on and between the side frames is provided with an outer cylindrical surface 42 that is spaced from and cooperates with the inner cylindrical surface 43 of said deflector plate so as to define an arcuate entryway means for manually feeding originals into the machine. A first set of three feed rolls 44, 45 and 46 are rotatably mounted on the machine frame, rolls 44, 45 and 46 being secured to shafts 47, 50 and 51, respectively, FIG. 3, and each shaft being rotatably mounted on the

side frames

32 and 33 by similar type bushings 52. These bushings are located in two opposed and aligned vertical slots 53 and 54 formed in the

side frames

32 and 33 respectively and are spring biased downwardly towards the bottom of slots 53, 54 by means of springs and 61 respectively. The ends of spring 60- are secured to a frame stud 62 while the ends of spring 61 are connected to a similar fixed stud 63 so as to urge the roll 46 into engagement with roll 45, and in turn to urge roll 45 into engagement with roll 44, as is illustrated in FIG. 3. The two bushings 52 associated with roll 44 are located at the respective bottoms of said side frame slots 53 and 54. The three rolls are rotatably interconnected by

gears

64, 65 and 66 secured to the respective roll shafts 47, 50, 51 and are adapted to be driven by a sprocket and

chain arrangement

67, 70 that is coupled to the left end (as seen in FIG. 3) of shaft 47.

The downstream end of the deflector plate 36 terminates adjacent the nip of rolls 44 and 45. Disposed immediately downstream from said roll nip is a pair of

parallel guide plates

71, 72 that are mounted on and between said

side frames

32, 33 and are flared slightly outwards at their respective upstream ends so as to facilitate entry therebetween of an original that is emerging from between said rolls 44 and 45. The lower guide plate 71 is centrally slotted as at 73 so as to permit the operating arm of a switch A to protrude therethrough and into the path of an original passing between said

plates

71 and 72, switch A being centrally mounted between said side frames by any suitable bracket means not shown. The downstream ends of the

horizontal guide plates

71, 72 are disposed adjacent the nip of a pair of cooperating

feed rolls

74 and 75 which are arranged, supported, intergeared and driven in a manner similar to that described above for rolls 44 and 45 respectively. Disposed immediately downstream from the nip of

rolls

74, 75 is a horizontally disposed pair of guide members 80, 81 which are supported on and between the said

side frames

32, 33. The lower member is formed with a wide transverse slot 82 that extends throughout most of the length of member 80 extendingbetween said side frames. A glass plate 83 disposed over said slot is secured by any suitable means to the upper surface of guide member 80 so as to support an original moving thereover while still permitting the lower face of the original to be irradiated or illuminated from below as illustrated by the arrows at the illuminating station 13 of FIG. 1. The edges of the guide member 81 and the glass plate 83 that are located adjacent the downstream side of the nip of

rolls

74, 75 are flared slightly so as to facilitate entry therebetween ofran original that is emerging from between said

rolls

74, 75. Disposed adjacent the downstream ends of said guide member 81 and glass plate 83 is another set of three cooperating feed rolls 84, 85 and 86 which are constructed, supported, intergeared and driven in a manner similar to that described above for rolls 44, 45, and 46 respectively. Disposed adjacent the downstream side of the nip between

rolls

84 and 85 is a horizontal discharge guide plate 90 that is supported on and between the said side frames so as to conduct an original to the original output station of the machine.

When the machine is conditioned for operation the feed rolls 44, 74 and 84 will be continuously driven from a common chain, such as illustrated at 70, FIG. 3, and hence the other feed rolls 45, 46, 75 and 85 and 86 will also be continuously rotated through gearing 64-66, etc. As will be apparent when an original to be copied is manually inserted into the machine, i.e. between plates 35 and 36, the leading edge of the original will move into the nip between rolls 44 and 45 and will be thereafter advanced between the successive roll pairs 74, 75 and 84, 85 and finally out onto the discharge plate 90. This main original sheet feed path is illustrated by said arrow 11 in FIG. 1 and represents the predetermined feed path to be followed by an original that is to be copied once.

When more than one copy of an original is to be automatically made a gating means, corresponding to 15 of FIG. 1, and additional guide means are provided to allow the original to be automatically recirculated through the machine a number of times corresponding to the number of copies desired. This gating means comprises a gating member which has bail-like arms such as at 101, FIG. 6, formed at each end thereof which straddle the ends of roll 85 and are pivotally mounted by suitable bushings 102 on opposite ends of the shaft 103 supporting the said roll 85. As will be apparent the body portion 104, FIG. 6, of the gating member 100 is pivotable from a normal retracted or inoperative position to an active position shown in FIG. 2. wherein the lower edge of said bail body portion 104 extends into the main original feed path 11 and causes the latter to be deflected so as to thereafter be able to move into one of two possible original recirculating paths corresponding to 18 and 20 of FIG. 1, An arcuate guide plate 105 is mounted on and between said side frames 32 and 33, the downstream end thereof being disposed adjacent the nip of the driven rolls 85 and 86. The plate 105 is centrally slotted so as to receive the operating arm of an electrical switch B that is centrally mounted on and between said side frames by any suitable means not shown. Disposed immediately downstream from the nip of said rolls 85, 86 is a cooperating horizontal pair of

parallel guide plates

106 and 107, the upstream ends of said

plates

106 and 107 being slightly flared as shown so as to facilitate entry therebetween of an original that is emerging from between

rolls

85, 86. Disposedadjacent the downstream ends of

plates

106, and 107 is a second gating means corresponding to 17 of FIG. 1, which includes a gating member 110 that has bail-like arms such as at 111, FIG. 4, formed at each end thereof which straddle the ends of rolls and are pivotally mounted by bushings, such as 112, FIG. 4, on the shaft 113 supporting said roll 75. The gating member is pivotable between a normal position and an actuated position as shown respectively by the dotted and solid lines in FIG. 5 so as to determine whether an original that is being recirculated will move along a relatively short recycle path around feed roll 75 (corresponding to arrow 18 of FIG. 1) or along a relatively long recycle path around feed roll 45 (corresponding to arrow 20 of FIG. 1). I

,An arcuate guide-plate mounted on said ,plate 72 cooperates with the closely adjacent cyclindrical surfaces of roll 75 so as to guide an original that is to follow along the relatively short feed path back into the nip between feed rolls 74 and 75. For an original that is to follow along the relatively long original sheet feed path another cooperating pair of

parallel guide plates

121 and 122 are mounted on and between said side frames 32, 33, the upstream end of these plates being slightly flared so as to facilitate the entry therebetween of the leading edge of an original that has moved past the gating member 110, as indicated by arrow 123 of FIG. 5. The downstream ends of the

plates

121, 122 are disposed adjacent the nip of rolls 45, 46. The arcuate surface 125 of the said member 41 being disposed adjacent the downstream side of the nip of said rolls 45, 46 so as to redirect an original emerging from between rolls 45, 46 back onto the arcuate portion 40 of said plate 36 and again into the nip of rolls 44, 45. As will be apparent when the recycle gating member 100 is in the operative position shown in FIG. 2 any original which is manually fed into the machine will be automatically recirculated through a short or a long sheet feed path so as to thereby automatically repeatedly move through the illuminating station of the machine a desired number of times. Once an original is deflected by gating member 100 so as to be recycled through the machine, which path is to be followed by the original, i.e. the long or short path, will be determined by the setting of the gating member 110.

The means for actuating and controlling the actuation of said

gating members

100 and 110 will now be described. The bail-like arm 101, FIG. 7, of gating member 100 is provided with extension which is biased by a suitable spring 136 towards engagement with a stud 137 fixed to the machine frame; the engaged condition here being.

indicated by the dotted lines of FIG. 7. In this dotted line position the gating member is conditioned as shown in FIG. 2 to recirculate any original that is fed into the machine. The gating member 100 is normally held out of this dotted line position and in the normal inoperative position illustrated by the solid lines of FIG. 7 by means of a pin 140 which engages the left edge, as seen in FIG. 7, of said extension 135 and which is fixed on the outer end of a crank arm 141 secured to a shaft 142. The shaft 142, which is rotatably mounted on the machine frame by any suitable means, is rotatably biased in a counter clockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 7, by means of a suitable coil spring 143, the limit of counter clockwise movement here being determined by engagement of the crank arm 141 with a stud 144 that is fixed to the machine frame. The coil spring 143 is elfectively stronger than the spring 136 so that the recirculating gating member 100 is normally held in the inoperative solid line position shown in FIG. 7 whereby any original that is fed onto the machine moves through the illuminating station only once as indicated by the arrow 11 of FIG. 1 and thus only one copy of this original is produced. When it is desired to automatically produce several copies of a given original the gating member 100 is permitted to be displaced to its dotted line position, FIG. 7, as will now be described. Shaft 142 has a hand wheel 145 secured to the outer end thereof and a copy-counting ratchet wheel 146 secured to an intermediate portion thereof. Cooperating with ratchet wheel 146 is an oscillatable pawl 147 which upon oscillation permits the shaft to incrementally rotate under the action of coil spring 143. This escapement action is conventional in nature andneed not be further explained here other than to indicate that the number of escapement steps possible for shaft 142 for any given setting of the hand wheel 145 corresponds to the number of copies that will be automatically produced as will be further explained below. Shaft 142 also has a cam 150 secured thereto, this cam having a circular peripheral profile.

except for the notch 151. A cam follower 152 cooperates with cam 150 in a well known manner, the follower being disposed in said notch when said shaft 142 is in its normal rotative position shown in FIG. 7. When it is desired to automatically produce more than one, say three, copies of an original the hand wheel 145 is manually rotated in the clockwise direction designated by arrow 153, FIG. 7, so that a pointer or indicator mark 154 associated therewith is moved from the numeral 1 (indicating single copy operation) marked on a suitable scale 155 to the numeral 3 which in this example is representative of the desired number of copies to be made. This manual rotation 153 of hand wheel 145 and the accompanying rotation of the shaft 142 will produce three actions. First the crank arm 141 will move in a clockwise direction thereby allowing spring 136 to swing the recirculating gating member 100 to its said operative position shown in FIG. 2 and by the dotted lines of FIG. 7. Second the cam follower 152 will ride out of the cam notch 151 thereby producing electrical circuit changes as will be discussed later; and thirdly the ratchet wheel 146 is rotated through a distance equivalent to two teeth whereafter pawl 147, until oscillated, prevents reverse rotation of ratchet wheel 146. With the gating member 1% thus set for recycling and the counter ratchet wheel 146 set for making three copies the original may be recirculated through the illuminating station 13 three times thereby allowing three copies thereof to be automatically produced.

The means for actuating and controlling the gating member 110 will now be described. Gating member 110 which is positioned in accordanec with the length of any particular original that is to be recirculated is adapted to be actuated by a solenoid 161) that is mounted on the machine frame by any suitable means. A link 161 is pivotally connected at one end thereof to the solenoid armature 162 while the other end thereof is pivotally connected to a depending portion 163 of one of the baillike arms 111 of the gating member 110 as is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. A spring 164 yieldably biases armature 162 toa normal outward position shown in FIG. 2. When solenoid is energized the gating member 110 will be pivoted from its normal FIG. 2 position to the actuated position shown in FIG. 5 whereby a recirculated original will be directed along the relatively long original sheet feed path as illustrated by said arrow 123 of FIG. 5. As will be apparent a recirculated original may here be caused to follow along the relatively long recirculating path, corresponding to arrow 20 of FIG. 1, or the relatively short recirculating path (corresponding to arrow 18 of FIG. 1) depending on the set position of gating member 110 which in turn is determined by the length of the particular original to be copied.

FIG. 7 shows the electrical circuitry associated with the above described apparatus. Here the said gating member solenoid 160 is connected across the main electrical supply lines 170, 171 through

lines

172, 173, 174, relay contacts 1' and line 175, the normally open relay contacts r being operated between open and closed position by a circuit holding relay coil R which is connected by a line 176 to the line 174 and by

lines

177, 180 and switch 181 to the main line 171. Switch 181 is connected, as at 182, so as to be operated by the said cam follower 152, the switch 181 being open when the cam follower is disposed in said cam notch 151 and the switch being closed when the cam follower is at any time located out of said notch 151. A solenoid 185 is connected across said main lines 170, 171 by

lines

186, 187 and 190 and by said normally open switch B (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). The said normally open switch A is connected by

lines

191 and 192 between said

lines

173 and 187. The armature of solenoid 185 is operatively connected to the escapement pawl 147 as indicated at 193, so that each time solenoid 185 is energized and then deenergized the pawl 147 will be oscillated through one cycle of arcuate movement thereby allowing ratchet wheel 146 to escape one tooth in a manner well understood for this type of escapement device.

A description will now be made of the automatic recycling operation for all the above described apparatus. Let it be assumed that four copies of an original are to be made. The machine operator first turns the hand wheel 145 in the clockwise direction 153 until the pointer 154 is opposite the numeral 4 on the staitonary copy number scale 155. This hand wheel will advance the ratchet wheel 146 a distance equivalent to three teeth for counting purposes, and will rotate cam 150 so that the cam follower 152 rides out of the cam notch 151 thereby immediately closing circuit switch 181. The accompanying rotation of the crank arm 141 permits the spring 136 to swing the recycle gating number 100 to its operative dotted line position shown in FIG. 7. The machine operator then manually feeds the original into the machine until the leading edge thereof moves between the continuously rotating feed rolls 44 and 45, these feeds rolls then advancing the original so that the latter operatively depresses the arm of switch A and moves between

plates

71, 72 and into the nip of the continuously rotating feed rolls 74 and 75.

Rolls

74 and 75 then advance the original through the illuminating station 13, effectively defined by plates 81 and 83, and into the nip of the continuously rotating feed rolls 84 and 85. As the leading edge of the original emerges from between the

rolls

84 and 85 it will be intercepted and deflected by the now operatively positioned gating member 100, FIG. 2, so as to move along the arcuate guide plate 105 and operatively depress the arm of switch B. The original is thus advanced into the nip of the continuously rotating feed rolls 85 and 86 and then between the

guide plates

106 and 107. After the leading edge of the original passes the end positions of

guide plates

106 and 107 it will encounter the gating member 110 which has two operative positions for directing the original along a short or a long feed path depending on the length of the particular original being recirculated. The switches A and B comprise an original length sensing means which controls the gating member positioning solenoid 160. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 7 it will be apparent that if the original to be copied is short enough so that the trailing edge thereof runs off of the operating arm of switch A before the leading edge thereof depresses the arm of switch B the solenoid 160 will not be energized and the gating member 110 will remain in its normal FIG. 2 or short recycle path position wherein the original is directed along the guide plate 120 and back through feeds rolls 74, 75 and the illuminating station 13. This control action may be seen from FIG. 7 wherein if switches A and B are not both closed at given time the relay R and solenoid 160 will not be energized. Under these conditions the original which has been sensed as being relatively short, i.e. shorter than the effective FIG. 2 distance between switches A and B, will be automatically and repeatedly recirculated through the short and essentially closed looped feed path corresponding to 18 of FIG. 1. Each time the leading edge of the original depresses the arm of switch B the solenoid 185 will be energized and each time the trailing edge thereof runs off of or releases said arm of switch B the solenoid 185 is deenergized. Thus each time the original recirculates around the short feed recycle path the energization and deenergization of solenoid 185 produces one cyclic oscillation of the cycle counting escapement pawl 147 thereby allowing the shaft 142 to be rotatably driven by coil spring 143 through one increment of counter clockwise movement, as seen in FIG. 7, back towards its normal position. After the original has been thus recycled through the illuminating station four times the crank arm 141 in moving the last incremental step to its normal FIG. 7 position will cause pin 140 to engage arm 135 so as to swing the gating member 110 to its inoperative solid line FIG. 7 position whereby the original is moving through the illuminating station 13 the fourth consecutive time will not be recycled but will be moved out onto the output plate 90, FIG. 2, of the machine. Thus the machine after having automatically produced four copies of the original is restored to its normal single copy mode of operation.

If multiple copies are to be produced from an original that is relatively long, i.e., longer than the effective FIG. 2 feed path distance between said switches A and B, then when the leading edge of such an original depresses the arm of switch B the trailing edge thereof still has not run olf the arm of switch A and thus, as may be seen from FIG. 7, with both switches A and B closed a circuit is completed through

lines

186, 187, 191, 192, 176, relay R, line 177, the now closed switch 181 and line 180. A parallel circuit through line 173, solenoid 160 and line 172 will also be established at this time. With relay R energized the resultant closure of relay contacts r will complete a second solenoid circuit path through

lines

175, 174, 173, solenoid 160 and line 171. When solenoid 160 is energized the gating member 110 will be shifted to its FIG. 5 position so as to direct this relatively long original along the relatively long recycle path corresponding to 20 of FIG. 1. The relay holding circuit through contacts r and closed switch 181 will cause the solenoid 160 to remain energized after switches A and/or B are opened so that the relatively long original may be repeatedly recirculated along the long recycle path. When this long original has passed through the illuminating station 13 the desired number of times, as determined by the setting of hand wheel 145, the recirculating gating member will be restored to its normal position, as described above in connection with the relatively short original, so that the long original will be directed onto the said output plate 90, and the machine will again be restored to its normal single copy operating condition. It will be noted here that during the last stepping or counting movement of shaft 142 the cam follower 152 will fall into notch 151 so that switch 181 is opened, the relay coil R thus being deenergized so as to open contacts r and deenergize solenoid 160 thereby allowing the solenoid armature spring 164 to restore the gating member to its normal FIG. 2 position.

It will be understood that each time a long or a short original moves into and through the illuminating station 13 additional means (not shown) synchronously moves a copy sheet into and through an exposure station so that .a copy may be thereby made as is well understood in the art. From the above description of the operation of the instant apparatus it will be seen that a relatively long recycle path is provided for production of multiple copies of relatively long originals, and that a relatively short original does not have to transverse this relatively long recycle path but may be rapidly recirculated around the relatively short recycle path thereby eliminating unnecessary dead time during which the machine would not be producing copy and during which the machine operator would have to wait for each repeat copy cycle to recommence.

Since many changes could be made in the embodiments of the invention particularly described and shown herein without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that these embodiments be considered as exem- 9 plary and that the invention not be limited except as Warranted by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a photocopy machine having an irradiation station at which an original to be copied may be irradiated;

means for irradiating that portion of said original that is located at said irradiation station; and

guide means for guiding an original through the machine during normal single-copy operations: the improvement comprising primary means for recirculating an original along an effectively short original sheet feed path, said original passing through said irradiation station during movement along said short path;

supplemental means for recirculating an original along an extended original sheet feed path that is effectively longer than said short feed path, the last mentioned original passing through said irradiation station during movement along said extended original sheet feed path; and

transport means for transporting originals along said short and extended feed paths respectively.

2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1: additionally comprising control means for selecting which one of said feed paths is to be followed by a given original and for directing said given original along the selected one of said paths.

3. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said short and extended original sheet feed paths have a common portion 4. Apparatus as defined by claim 2 wherein said control means includes a sensing means for sensing the length of an original;

and

gating means controlled by said sensing means for directing the sensed original into said selected one of said feed paths.

5. In a photocopy machine having an illuminating station at which an original to be copied may be illuminated; and

means for illuminating the portion of said original that is located at said illuminating station;

the improvement comprising guide means defining two original sheet feed paths having different effective lengths;

transport means for transporting originals along said sheet feed paths respectively; and

gating means for recirculating an original through a selected one of said paths.

6. Apparatus as defined by claim 5: additionally com prising control means for sensing an original and for accordingly directing the sensed original into an appropriate one of said feed paths.

7. In a photocopy machine having :an illuminating station; and

means for illuminating said station: the improvement comprising guide means defining at least two original recirculating sheet feed paths;

transport means for transporting originals along said feed paths respectively;

gating means for determining which one of said paths is to be taken by an original; and

control means operable to condition said gating means in accordance with a sensible condition of an original to be copied.

8. Apparatus as defined by claim 7: additionally comprising recycling means for repeatedly recirculating an original through a selected one of said sheet feed paths.

9. Apparatus as defined by claim 7 wherein at least a portion of said one of said feed paths is common to the other of said feed paths.

10. In a photocopy machine having an illuminating station at which an original'to be copied may be illuminated; and

means for illuminating that portion of an original that is located at said illuminating station: the improvement comprising guide means defining a plurality of original sheet feed paths having different effective lengths respectively, each of said paths passing through said illuminating station, and parts of at least some of said paths being common;

transport means for transporting originals feed paths respectively;

gating means for determining which one of said feed paths will be followed by an original; and

means for sensing said original and for accordingly controlling said gating means.

-11. Apparatus as defined by claim 10': additionally along said comprising recycling means for repeatedly recirculating an original along a selected one of said feed paths.

12. In a photocopy machine having an illuminating station at which an original may be illuminating; and

means for illuminating that portion of an original that is located at said illuminating station: the improvement comprising guide means defining two original sheet feed paths having different effective lengths respectively, each of said feed paths passing through said illuminating station;

transport means for transporting originals along said feed paths respectively;

recycle means for repeatedly recirculating an original through a selected one of said feed paths;

gating means for determining which one of said feed paths is to be followed by an original; and

control means operative to sense said original and to accordingly control said gating means so that some of said originals may take the longer one of said feed paths and others of said originals may take the shorter one of said feed paths.

13. Apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein one of said paths is effectively an extension of the other of said feed paths; and whereby said sensing means is adapted to recognize an original that is longer than a predetermined length.

14. In a photocopy machine having an irradiation station at which an original may be irradiated; and

means for irradiating that portion of said original that is located at said irradiation station: the improvement comprising guide means defining two original recirculating sheet feed paths each pasing through said irradiation station, one of said feed paths being an effective extension of, and thus longer than, the other of said feed paths, said feed paths having at least one common portion;

transport means for transporting originals along said feed paths respectively;

recycling means for causing an original to be automatically recirculated through a selected one of said feed paths;

gating means for determining which one of said feed paths is to be followed by a recirculating original;

sensing means for sensing the length of an original;

and

actuator means controlled by said sensing means for operating said gating means whereby a relatively short original may be directed along the shorter one of said feed paths and whereby a relatively long original may be directed along the longer one of said feed paths.

1 1 1 2 15. In a photocopy machine:v nates at a point farther upstream on said normal original a rfirst guide means for establishing a normal singlesheet feed path than the eifective terminal point of said copy original sheet feedpath through said machine; second guide means on said normal original sheet feed a second guidemeans for establishing a relatively short path. a i i l h t f ed pathalong which an original may 5 17. Apparatus as defined by claim 15; additionally travel in being redirected back into an upstream porcomprising I tion'of said normal sheet feed path; control means for controlling the operation of the secafirst gating means cooperating with said first guide 0nd g g means; Said Control means comprising a means for redirecting an original into s id s d switching means for sensing the length of an original;

guidemeans andback into said upstream portion of 10 and said normal sheet feed path; actuator means controlled by said switching means for i a thirdguide means for establishing an extended orig- Operating Said Sficond gating meaIlS- inal sheet feed path along which an original may Y travel in being/redirected back to said normal sheet References Cted feed p a 0 15 UNITED STATES PATENTS a second gating means for determining 'WhlCh one of 3,091,169 5/1963 Tami et 88 24 said short and extended sheet feed paths a redirected original will take. 3,110,241 11/1963 Frantz et al. 95--75 16. Apparatus as defined by claim 15 wherein said third NORTON ANSHER primary Examiner guide means efiectively commences at an intermediate 20 region of said second guide means and effectively termi- CHARLES FUNK Amsmm Exammer'

Claims

1. IN A PHOTOCOPY MACHINE HAVING AN IRRADIATION STATION AT WHICH AN ORIGINAL TO BE COPIED MAY BE IRRADIATED; MEANS FOR IRRADIATING THAT PORTION OF SAID ORIGINAL THAT IS LOCATED AT SAID IRRADIATION STATION; AND GUIDE MEANS FOR GUIDING AN ORIGINAL THROUGH THE MACHINE DURING NORMAL SINGLE-COPY OPERATIONS: THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING PRIMARY MEANS FOR RECIRCULATING AN ORIGINAL ALONG AN EFFECTIVELY SHORT ORIGINAL SHEET FEED PATH, SAID ORIGINAL PASSING THROUGH SAID IRRADIATION STATION DURING MOVEMENT ALONG SAID SHORT PATH; SUPPLEMENTAL MEANS FOR RECICULATING AN ORIGINAL ALONG AN EXTENDED ORIGINAL SHEET FEED PATH THAT IS EFFECTIVELY LONGER THAN SAID SHORT FEED PATH, THE LAST MENTIONED ORIGINAL PASSING THROUGH SAID IRRADIATION STATION DURING MOVEMENT ALONG SAID EXTENDED ORIGINAL SHEET FEED PATH; AND TRANSPORT MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING ORIGINALS ALONG SAID SHORT AND EXTENDED FEED PATHS RESPECTIVELY.