The present invention relates to a unit for supporting a printer fed with continuous stationery. Many small businesses now have computers and associated table-top printers for producing "print-outs" from the computer. Such printers are generally fed with continuous (e.g. fanfold) stationery and it is frequently the case that any one company requires several different formats of pre-printed stationery. Thus, for example, the company may have separate stationery for wages, accounts, orders etc. It is obviously desirable that the stationery is stored in such a manner that the printer may be changed quickly from one form of stationery to another.

Various types of apparatus have already been proposed for storing different types of stationery. Generally such apparatus comprises a trolley or the like which holds several different stationery formats. There is however the problem that the trolleys must be wheeled to the table supporting the printer each time it is required to use stationery of a particular format. It is an object of the present invention to provide a support unit for a printer which allows the printer to be changed quickly and easily between one form of continuous stationery and another.

According to the present invention there is provided a printer support unit comprising an upper printer support platform and a first lower shelf supporting a plurality of trollies or the like for holding continuous stationery to. be fed to the printer. - .

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a printer support unit comprising an upper printer support platform and a first ^* lower shelf for accommodating a plurality of

« paper support trolley units, said shelf having a plurality of location points below said opening for locating a trolley unit in position so that paper may be fed through said opening to the printer.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a printer support unit comprising an upper print support platform and a first lower self for accommodating a plurality of paper support trolley units, said platform having a paper feed opening thro.ugh which paper from one of said trollies may be fed to the printer.

In use of the printer support unit of the invention, each trolley unit provided on the shelf will carry a different format of continuous stationery. to use stationery of any particular format, it is simply necessary to move the trolleys around on_ the shelf to locate the trolley unit carrying the desired stationery at a paper feed position from which the stationery may be fed to the printer. The invention will be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings; in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of printer support stand in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 illustrates the use of the stand shown in Fig. 1 for supplying paper to a printer.

As shown in Fig. 1, a printer support unit 1 comprises an upper printer support platform or. table 2 and two lower shelves 3 and 4 (bounded by respective lips 30 and 40) which extend beyond table

2. Table 2 is intended to support a printer 5 and is provided with a paper-feed opening through which paper may be fed to printer 5.

Provided in shelf 3 beneath opening 6 is a rectangular aperture 7 bounded ^' by a lip 7a. The purpose of aperture 7 will be appreciated from the subsequent description.

Four part-spherical recesses 8 are provided in shelf 3 around rectangle 7. Similarly positioned recesses 9 are provided in shelf 4.

A generally ϋ-shaped wire guide 10 locates in any one of apertures 11 and serves to guide print-out from the printer 5.

Each type of stationery 12 to be fed to the printer 5 is held in readiness on a respective trolley unit 13. The illustrated trolley unit comprises a flat platform 14 having four ball-bearing wheel units 15 positioned such that the four wheel units will locate in either the set of recesses 8 or recesses 9.

A plurality of the trolley units 13 loaded with paper 12 are provided on each of shelves 3 and 4. To use any desired stationery format, it is simply necessary to move the respective trolley unit 13 along the shelf 3 or 4 until its wheel units 15 locate in recesses 8 or 9. Paper from the trolley unit may then be fed through opening 6 to printer 5 from where the print out passes over guide 10 so as to be re-stacked in the correct manner. Obviously, if the trolley unit 13 supporting the desired stationery format is on lower shelf 4, it is necessary firstly to ensure that no trolley unit 13 is provided over aperture 7 and secondly _ to feed the paper through aperture 7 for subsequent feed through opening 6. Fig. 2 clearly illustrates the feed of paper 12 from a trolley 13 on the lower shelf 4.

Lips 3a , 4a and 7a se rve to prevent the trolley , units 13 falling off the shelves 3 or 4 or i nto aperture 7. i t wi ll the refore be appreciated that t he invention provides a simple and effecti ve unit which allows several different ^' types of stat ionery formate to be supported and to be i nterchanged quic kly and easi ly.

Numerous modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment. Thus, for example, one or both of the paper feed openings 6 and 7 may be omitted and the paper 12 may simply be fed past the edges of shelf 3 and/or shelf 4. Alternatively or additionally, the locating recesses 8 may be omitted in this case, reference marks may be provided for locating the trolley in position