Document drive apparatus for directing a document around a corner

摘要

A document drive apparatus has an upstream end, a downstream end, and a document feeding line defined between the ends. The apparatus directs a document around a corner. The apparatus includes a drive drum having a central axis and rotatably mounted on a base member for rotation about its central axis. An endless drive belt is disposed on a pivot support and first and second arm members having one end thereof connected to the pivot support. The belt and the drum cooperate to define at least a portion of the feeding line defined between the upstream and downstream ends. At least one of the first and second arm members is pivotable about its end connected to the pivot support towards and away from the drum such that (i) a certain amount of the belt presses against the drive drum when the arm member is pivoted towards the drum to enable the document to be directed around the corner, and (ii) less than the certain amount of the belt presses against the drum when the arm member is pivoted away from the drum to enable a jammed document to be more easily removed from the document feeding line. The first and second arm members form an L-shape about the pivot support when the one arm is pivoted towards the drum. A snap mechanism holds an arm member in a locked position when the arm member is pivoted towards the drum. The snap mechanism is operable to allow the arm member to be pivoted about the pivot support away from the locked position to an unlocked position away from the drum.