DOCUMENT TRANSPORT SYSTEM

摘要

This invention applies to a document transport system for rapid and precise movement and positioning of sheet material and particularly to such a system adapted for use in business machines. The system includes reciprocating sheet gripping means for moving and positioning a document having machine readable and human readable portions thereon. The document gripper provision includes a pair of jaw assemblies for gripping the leading edge portion of a document inserted into the throat of the machine. Each jaw is individually mounted on a support arm or rail for mutual travel in a bi-directional fashion perpendicular to the document inserting throat. A reversely rotatable drive shaft is coupled to the jaw assemblies, such as by elongated flexible members, for imparting precise bi-directional movements to the jaw assemblies concurrently in the same direction and at relatively high speeds along their respective rails and for accurately stopping the document in different positions in the machine. The gripper jaws are normally biased to a closed position but are activated to open condition only when the jaws are at their terminal position adjacent to the throat for receiving the leading edge of an inserted document or for releasing a document already handled by the machine. The pull and push action of the document gripping mechanisms are assisted by document engaging rollers adjacent to the throat of the machine whose speed and direction of rotation is controlled so as to impose a tension on the document at all times while it is in the machine. The movement and positioning of the document is under the control of mechanism which senses the machine readable portion of the document and governs the direction and distance of rotation of the drive shaft and the sheet engaging rollers thereby precisely moving and positioning the document as machine operations are performed.