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Lawrence Welk, the bandleader who entertained millions of Americans over a generation of broadcasting his TV show, once received a patent: for a music-themed design of an ashtray.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8177222 | Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus A sheet feeding apparatus which feeds each of sheets lifted by blowing air, wherein the amount of movement of a tray from the detection of the tray which stacks a plurality of sheets by a lower position detecting sensor to the detection of the uppermost position of ... | 05/15/2012 |
| 8132808 | Sheet conveying device and image forming apparatus incorporating same A sheet conveying device includes a controller having a processing unit to cause a first detector to detect an uppermost sheet, an elevator to lift and stop a sheet stack at a reference position, and a second detector to detect and store the position. In a primary o... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8113503 | Automatic warp compensation The present disclosure includes an apparatus for feeding a stack of sheet stock in blocks. The apparatus includes a backstop, a block pusher plate, and at least one sensor for determining a height differential between the stack at generally near a lead edge of the s... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8113504 | Media sheet feeding method for overcoming at least one media handling failure mode A sheet feeding method includes supporting a media stack on an elevator, initiating operation of a pick roll in conjunction with a top most sheet, sensing whether or not the pick roll is operating in conjunction with the top most sheet, and moving the elevator, in r... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8061706 | Method and apparatus for adjusting the height of a media stack in an image production device A method and apparatus for adjusting the height of a media stack in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include setting the height of the media stack using a default multiplier, determining if printing has started, wherein if it is determined tha... | 11/22/2011 |
| 7980553 | Media measurement with sensor array A method for measuring dimensions of a stack of medium in a media input location of an imaging system, includes emitting light along a direction that is at a predetermined angle with respect to the normal of the planar surface of the media input location. An array o... | 07/19/2011 |
| 7887045 | Method for dynamically lifting elevator platform of media input tray during ongoing media process A method for dynamically lifting an elevator includes picking a sheet from a stack to feed to a media process where the stack is on a platform that can be lifted by an elevator, performing the media process, sensing a top of the stack to detect presence or absence o... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7845631 | Transporting device and image forming apparatus A transporting device moves sheet-like objects. The transporting device has an elevator plate mounted to be liftable and lowerable on a loading surface to load an object to be moved; a drive part to lift and to lower the elevator plate via gears; and a controller to... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7823874 | Paper feeder A paper feeder comprising an actuator and a sensor mounted on a main body, the actuator being capable of contacting an upper surface of a sheet placed on a bottom plate provided in a sheet tray as the bottom plate is raised, thereby allowing the sensor to detect tha... | 11/02/2010 |
| 7753365 | Image scanning apparatus and image scanner In an image scanning apparatus, when documents on a document tray are sequentially transferred, different control steps are performed according to a scanning speed when an upper surface height of the documents is lowered thereby turning off a height detection sensor... | 07/13/2010 |
| 7748701 | Method and arrangement for feeding out end sheets from a stack of sheets A method and an arrangement for feeding out end sheets from a stack of sheets comprises that a driver acting against the end sheet of the stack (1) first displaces the end sheet in the plane thereof toward a support for elastic bulging of the end sheet, and t... | 07/06/2010 |
| 7690643 | Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus There is provided an apparatus provided with a tray which goes up and down with sheet stack being supported, a pickup roller which feeds the sheet on the tray a first detecting sensor which detects a object placed on the tray other than the sheets to be fed by the p... | 04/06/2010 |
| 7654517 | Image scanning apparatus and image scanner In an image scanning apparatus, when documents on a document tray are sequentially transferred, different control steps are performed according to a scanning speed when an upper surface height of the documents is lowered thereby turning off a height detection sensor... | 02/02/2010 |
| 7597316 | Paper feeding method and paper feeder An image-forming apparatus has a limitation pad 31c and a retard roller 34, which separately feed recording paper P on an elevation tray 31 in an MPT cover 30 by bringing the recording paper P against an outer peripheral surface | 10/06/2009 |
| 7523930 | Paper feeding apparatus of an image forming apparatus and control method thereof A paper feeding apparatus includes a paper loading plate, a paper feeding section with a pick-up roller to pick up and to feed the papers loaded on the paper loading plate one by one, a lifter to lift the paper loading plate to a pick-up roller side of the paper fee... | 04/28/2009 |
| 7503558 | Sheet elevation apparatus and image forming apparatus using the same A sheet elevating apparatus for use in a sheet tray cassette detachably installable to an image forming apparatus includes an elevation driving source, a first coupling, an elevation member, a second coupling, and an elevation controller. The elevation driving sourc... | 03/17/2009 |
| 7494120 | Image generating apparatus An image generating apparatus capable of effectively suppressing double paper feeding and reducing the number of components is obtained. This image generating apparatus comprises a paper feed roller feeding papers, a push-up member pressing the papers against the pa... | 02/24/2009 |
| 7451976 | Media pickup apparatus for media dispenser A media pickup apparatus includes a push plate for pushing media stored in a cassette body towards a discharge port of the cassette body. A driving source provides power to the push plate so as to allow the push plate to push the media towards the discharge port of ... | 11/18/2008 |
| 7441767 | Sheet feeder with stacking member lifted by planetary gear system To reduce the number of components and further to provide a downsized sheet feeder, a shaft is arranged to a lower side of a sheet receiver stacking sheets, and gears are respectively attached to each opposite end of the shaft to mesh with rack portions. The gears m... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7431286 | Media stack measurement and method A system and method include a printer input, a feedhead assembly, first and second sensors and a controller. The printer input is configured to hold a stack of media. The first sensor is coupled to the feedhead assembly and configured to measure at a first location ... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7389982 | Image forming device capable of feeding paper smoothly An image-forming device includes an image-forming section, a separating/feeding section that separates and feeds sheets of paper from a stack into the image-forming section one sheet at a time, a pressing plate disposed on the opposite side of the stacked paper from... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7347415 | Paper feeding apparatus of image forming apparatus A paper feeding apparatus of an image forming apparatus has a paper setting unit that includes a knock-up plate raising/lowering portion raising and lowering a knock-up plate with respect to a pickup roller, a paper guide slidably formed on the knock-up plate to gui... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7296789 | Sheet feeder, image reading apparatus, and image forming apparatus It is determined whether or not a jammed document is necessarily returned to a document tray when a jam of the document is caused within a carrier path and, then, the elevation operation of the document tray is controlled on the basis of its result of the determinat... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7281873 | Sheet package with identification mark and printer using the same Print sheets 7 stacked up are inserted into a package member 8 so that the sheets 7 in this state can be set in a printer together with the package member 8. The package member 8 is provided with an identification mark 31 wh... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7270325 | Sheet feeding apparatus, image reading apparatus, and method of detecting double feed A sheet feeding apparatus includes first and second transport devices disposed at a transport guide with a distance in between for nipping and transporting a sheet, and a double feed detection device disposed between the first transport device and the second transpo... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7267337 | Sheet curl correction method and feeder apparatus A pneumatic sheet feeder is selectively actuable to acquire a sheet from a stack and transport the sheet towards a take-away nip. The feeder includes a feedhead having an acquisition surface substantially aligned with the take-away nip. A sensing apparatus detects t... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7237773 | System for feeding and transporting documents A system for feeding and transporting documents includes a feeder stage and a transport stage. The hopper assembly includes a hopper floor that carries the document stack and a flag that provides a force to move the documents along the hopper floor toward the feeder... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7182332 | Feed device for stacks of paper, plastic material or the like A feed device for stacks of paper or plastic material has at least one transport unit with a supporting member for the stack and at least one transport element. A separating unit with at least one rotatably driven feed drum is provided for removing individual sheets... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7172195 | Image reading apparatus A sheet feeding apparatus includes a stacker for stacking a sheet; a sheet separating device for sequentially separating and feeding the sheet stacked on the stacker; a sheet transport guide for guiding the sheet from the separating device to a processing position; ... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7151608 | Method for measuring the thickness of a mail item A method of using reflection of a laser ray (LZ) for measuring the thickness (e) of a flat mail item (1) consists in nipping the mail item by means of an elastically deformable member (3) that has a first surface (4a) in contact with one ... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7070179 | System and method for feeding and transporting documents including document trailing edge detection by sensing an air flow disruption while the document is still being fed from the document stack A system and method for feeding and transporting documents are provided. The method includes directing airflow to a fixed location upstream of a feeder at a stack of documents such that a document trailing edge passing the fixed location causes a disruption in the a... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7065318 | Paper feeder and image forming apparatus A paper feeder includes a plurality of paper feeding units that feeds a recording medium from a paper feeding tray, has a first guiding surface towards a paper transporting path that guides the recording medium, and is arranged along a direction of transporting the ... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7048273 | System and method for monitoring grouped resources System and method for monitoring grouped resources. A system and method of monitoring resource units in a stack is provided. The system and method includes providing a group of resource units and determining a thickness of one or more of the resource units. The syst... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7025349 | Mail location apparatus Mail location apparatus for a postal meter is disclosed in which a required location of a mail piece to receive a postal indicium imprint is defined by guide walls which are engaged by adjacent edges of the mail piece when the mail piece is in the required location.... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7004709 | Bin for library articles and automatic unloading system therefor A bin for library articles and an automatic unloading system therefor includes a bin housing having a chamber defined by an uppermost housing plane and by opposing walls. A floor within the chamber has a top and bottom surfaces, and a plurality of cable apertures. A... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6994341 | Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus equipped with the same A sheet feeding device in which sheets contained in a sheet container detachably attached to an apparatus main body are fed by a sheet feeder, including a sheet support member provided in the sheet container to vertically move while supporting the sheets, a lifter f... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6981698 | Automatic dispensing machine of substantially flat goods An automatic dispensing machine of substantially flat goods is provided which detects the over-dispensing of goods while accommodating for varying thickness of the substantially flat goods. The automatic dispensing machine includes a table which supports goods such ... | 01/03/2006 |
| 6942207 | Bill receiving/dispensing box A recycle box to be mounted on a bill receiving/dispensing machine including a bill convey path, includes a stacking/separating mechanism arranged to receive bills from the bill convey path so that the bills are contained in the recycle box, and to separate at least... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6942212 | Mechanical media top level elevator A media handling mechanism in a printing device includes an input tray for holding a stack of media sheets at a top level. The input tray includes a platform on which the stack of media sheets rests. The media handling mechanism also has a driving means coupled to t... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6908082 | Method and system for providing sheet stack level control A system and method for providing the ability to more effectively control a paper stack in a reproduction apparatus. The level control behavior of the paper stack is characterized, and accordingly, additional lift commands are signaled when the behavior indicates th... | 06/21/2005 |
