Method of operating a document feeding mechanism to reduce chance of a document jam condition and an apparatus therefor

Abstract

A method is provided of operating a document feeding mechanism having a document transport path which passes through an extended nip defined between an advance belt disposed on one side of a document transport path and a retard belt disposed on an opposite side of the document transport path. The method comprises controlling operation of the advance belt to pick sheets from a document stack and to feed picked sheets one-by-one through the extended nip from an upstream end of the document transport path to a downstream end of the document transport path, and controlling operation of the retard belt to hold back other sheets of the document stack from being fed through the extended nip as one sheet is being picked from the document stack and fed through the extended nip from the upstream end of the document transport path to the downstream end of the document transport path and thereby to reduce chance of a document jam condition.

1 . A method of operating a document feeding mechanism having a document transport path which passes through an extended nip defined between an advance belt disposed on one side of a document transport path and a retard belt disposed on an opposite side of the document transport path, the method comprising:
 controlling operation of the advance belt to pick sheets from a document stack and to feed picked sheets one-by-one through the extended nip from an upstream end of the document transport path to a downstream end of the document transport path; and   controlling operation of the retard belt to (i) hold back other sheets of the document stack from being fed through the extended nip as one sheet is being picked from the document stack and fed through the extended nip from the upstream end of the document transport path to the downstream end of the document transport path, and (ii) reduce tendency of a leading edge of the one sheet to fold over and roll along its length as the leading edge is being fed into the extended nip and thereby to reduce chance of a document jam condition.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the extended nip is disposed along a linear portion of the document transport path. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the extended nip overlies a relatively smaller nip which is disposed between an advance drive roller driving the advance belt and a retard drive roller driving the retard belt. 
     
     
         4 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A method of operating a banknote feeding mechanism having a banknote transport path which passes through an extended nip defined between an advance belt disposed on one side of the banknote transport path and a retard belt disposed on an opposite side of the banknote transport path, the method comprising:
 locating the retard belt relative to a stack of used banknotes to enable the retard belt to reduce tendency of a leading edge of a used banknote which has been picked from the stack to fold over and roll along its length as the leading edge is being fed into the extended nip and thereby to reduce chance of a banknote jam condition along the banknote transport path.   
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the extended nip is disposed along a linear portion of the banknote transport path. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the extended nip overlies a relatively smaller nip which is disposed between an advance drive roller driving the advance belt and a retard drive roller driving the retard belt. 
     
     
         13 . A method of operating a banknote feeding mechanism having a banknote transport path which passes through an extended nip defined between an advance belt disposed on one side of the banknote transport path and a retard belt disposed on an opposite side of the banknote transport path, the method comprising:
 locating the advance belt relative to a stack of limp, used banknotes to pick limp, used banknotes from the stack and to feed limp, used banknotes one-by-one through the extended nip from an upstream end of the banknote transport path to a downstream end of the banknote transport path; and   locating the retard belt relative to the advance belt and the stack of limp, used banknotes to enable the retard belt to reduce tendency of a leading edge of a limp, used banknote which has been picked from the stack to fold over and roll along its length as the leading edge is being fed into the extended nip and thereby to reduce chance of a banknote jam condition along the banknote transport path.   
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the extended nip is disposed along a linear portion of the banknote transport path. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the extended nip overlies a relatively smaller nip which is disposed between an advance drive roller driving the advance belt and a retard drive roller driving the retard belt.