GB1362697A - Cassette opening mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

1362697 Cassettes XEROX CORP 2 Aug 1971 [5 Aug 1970] 36184/71 Heading G2X A cassette has grooves in its side walls which co-operate with means forming part of a cassette-receiving station so as to pivot the top cover of the cassette between an open and closed position on insertion and withdrawal of the cassette into the said station. The cassette 12 contains a flat xerographic plate, and slides in the direction of the arrows into the cassettereceiving device 10. This has flat guide means 20 on each side, connected by a horizontal member 26, on which the cassette slides, until its forward end passes on to another horizontal member 36 having an upwardly extending lip 38 against which it abuts to terminate the movement. Cut-out portions 54 in member 36 accommodate springs 42 which push against the cassette in this abutting position. Each guide 20 has a vertical part ending in an inwardly extending flange 32 see also Fig. 2 (not shown) which fits over the base member of the cassette as it slides into the device 10. On each side of the receiving device is a fixed pin 34. The cassette has a top cover 64 which can pivot open about a hinge 66. Each side wall of the cassette has a groove 80 which divides into two grooves 78, 85. When the cassette is initially inserted into the receiving device, pins 34 enter into the grooves 78. As the grooves begin to incline downwards, the cover 64 is pivoted anti-clockwise into an "open" position. With further continued insertion, pins 34 enter the grooves 80 and continue the opening movement of the cassette top. A notch 44 in the bottom wall of the cassette aligns, when the cassette is fully inserted, with a latch 46 passing through a hole 48 in member 36. If there is no xerographic plate in the cassette, it will be locked in this position by the latch. If the plate is present, or inserted, it will be sensed by a reed switch 50, and the latch 46 displaced to an inoperative position. Thus the cassette will then be slightly displaced by springs 42. In the fully inserted position the cassette depresses a micro-switch 60 passing through an opening 62 in member 36. If switch 50 does not sense the presence of a xerographic plate, the operator can actuate feeding mechanism which withdraws a plate from a storage magazine, charges it, and inserts it into the cassette. It is then sensed by switch 50 and thus the cassette is unlatched and given an ejecting movement by springs 42. It can now be manually withdrawn from the receiving station 10, and passed to the exposure and printing stations.