Abstract: An electrographic apparatus has a photoconductor in the form of an endless web, and latent images are formed on one side of the web. The photoconductor is advanced along a path past three development stations at which latent electrostatic images on the web can be developed with colored developer material from the stations. The web is mounted for travel along a path spaced from the three development stations with the latent images of the photoconductor facing the development stations as the web passes the development stations. A plurality of back-up rollers positioned on the side of the web opposite from the development stations can engage the web to move the web out of its path of travel spaced from the development stations into a position relative to any single one of the development stations so that a latent image can be developed by such station.

Abstract: A development station for electrographic apparatus has a magnetic brush which receives developer material from a sump and applies it to a latent image on a photoconductor. A metering slot for the developer material is provided adjacent the magnetic brush. A gate mechanism controls flow of developer material through the slot by moving between an open position adjacent the metering slot to allow developer material to pass through the slot and a closed position to block flow of developer material through the slot. A wiper blade removes excess developer material from the brush after the image has been developed. The wiper blade is movable into and out of engagement with the magnetic brush and is coupled to the gate mechanism so that when the gate is closed the wiper blade is out of engagement with the brush.

Abstract: In electrographic apparatus a magnetic brush development station has a housing with a sump for holding a supply of developer material, and a magnetic brush that applies developer material from the sump to a latent image on a photoconductor. A rotatable transport roller is located between the sump and the magnetic brush. A magnet in the roller attracts developer material from the sump to the roller so that rotation of the roller can move the material toward the magnetic brush. A gating and metering member in the form of a cylindrical tube is positioned around the roller and spaced from it. The tube has two elongate, spaced slots, and the tube is rotatable between first and second positions. When the tube is in one of its positions developer material from the sump can pass through one of the slots to the roller and be transported to the other slot where it is metered to the magnetic brush.

Abstract: Magnetic brush development apparatus for applying developer material to a latent image on a photoconductor includes a housing having a sump which receives a supply of developer material. A magnetic brush spaced from the sump applies the material to the latent image of a photoconductor as the photoconductor is moved past the magnetic brush. Developer material is fed to the brush through an elongate feed slot adjacent to the brush. A feed mechanism delivers developer material from the sump through the slot to the magnetic brush. The feed mechanism includes a rotatable shell and a plurality of magnets that are located within the shell and attract developer material to a portion of the shell. The shell has a deeply fluted outer surface that holds the developer material attracted to the shell as it is delivered from the sump to the slot. The fluted outer surface also assists in removing excess developer material from the area adjacent the slot.

Abstract: An electrographic copier/duplicator has a development station with a sump for holding a supply of two-component developer material. A magnetic brush applies the developer material to a photoconductor moved past the magnetic brush. The developer material may comprise carriers of hard, magnetic material. A ribbon blender mixes the developer material in the sump. The blender includes first and second ribbons with each ribbon having a first, relatively large diameter helical end portion and a second relatively small diameter helical end portion. The second end portion of each ribbon is located substantially within the first end portion of the other ribbon. Because the two end portions of the ribbon are connected, there is good axial mixing of developer material in the area between the two portions of each ribbon, and the level of the developer material tends to remain level throughout the length of the ribbon blender.

Abstract: A development station applies developer material to a latent image on a photoconductor of an electrographic apparatus. An applicator in the station receives developer material from a sump and provides it to the latent image, and excess developer material from the applicator travels along a skive and is returned to the sump. A developer mixer in the sump includes a plurality of blades which are driven about an axis to mix the developer material and supply such material to the applicator. One of the mixer blades is longer than the other blades and strikes the skive during rotation of the mixer to flex the skive and thus facilitates movement of any developer material on the skive toward the sump. The longer blade of the mixer also engages an arcuate surface of the sump during rotation of the blade to wipe developer material from that surface, and removes excess developer from part of the applicator.

Abstract: A finishing apparatus is adapted to receive sheets that are to be formed into booklets from a copier/duplicator or other reproduction apparatus. The sheets are fed along a sheet transport in the finishing apparatus to an assembly station where they are jogged and formed into booklets. The sheets of the booklet may be secured together by staples, an adhesive, or other binding means. The finisher has a covering having an opening directly above support that receives a stack of booklet covers. The covers are fed from the support to the sheet transport for delivery to the assembly station in timed relation to the sheets of the booklet so that the covers are inserted at the front and/or back of the booklet.

Abstract: An adhesive applicator receives liquid adhesive from an adhesive supply and has a pneumatically operated valve for controlling the flow of adhesive through the applicator to a sheet driven along a path past the applicator. A pneumatic proximity switch is located along the path for sensing the sheet as it approaches the applicator. Air from a pressure amplifier is provided to the pneumatically operated control valve of the applicator in response to the proximity switch sensing the presence of a sheet along the path. The proximity switch also can be connected to a pneumatically operated electrical switch that provides a signal to a logic and control unit for indicating to a machine operator that a paper jam exists in the event the sheet does not clear the proximity switch within a predetermined time interval.

Abstract: A recirculating document feeder for a copier/duplicator removes sheets seriatim from the bottom of a stack of sheets, circulates a removed sheet to a position for copying, and then returns the sheet back onto the top of the stack of sheets. A sheet separator engages the sheet that initially is on top of the stack for separating the sheets in the stack that have been circulated along the path from those sheets in the stack that have not been circulated along the path. In response to feeding of the top sheet of the stack along the path, the separator is retracted and then returned to the top of the stack after the top sheet has been circulated for copying. The separator is driven along a generally rectilinear path and guided along that path by a pin in the separator that travels along a slot formed partially in each of two facing surfaces.

Abstract: Booklets are produced from sets of sheets fed seriatim to finishing apparatus from a copier/duplicator or the like either by adhesively binding the sheets together or by stapling them together. The finishing apparatus has first and second adhesive binders used for securing sets of sheets together with adhesive, and first and second stapler/finishers for securing sets of sheets together with one or more staples. The sets of sheets are directed alternately either to the first adhesive binder and to the second adhesive binder or to the first stapler/finisher and the second stapler/finisher. The finished booklets from the binders or the stapler/finishers are collected in a collection station. By providing two adhesive binders and two stapler/finishers booklets can be finished on an "on-line" basis at full machine speed and without interrupting the flow of sheets of a second booklet until the first booklet has been completely finished.

Abstract: A ribbon blender for a development station of an electrographic copier/duplicator is formed using a plurality of flat blanks stamped from a strip of sheet material. Each blank has three substantially concentric rings joined by two spaced strips. The outer ring and the middle ring are cut to form ribbon segments and then the segments are bent out of the plane of the blank. A plurality of the resulting bent blanks are assembled on a shaft alternately with spacers to form a ribbon blender. The free ends of the ribbon segments of adjacent blanks are in substantially end-to-end alignment to joints form ribbons.

Abstract: A modular cover inserter unit is located between a copier/duplicator which produces sets of copy sheets and a finisher which forms booklets from the sets of copy sheets. The cover inserter unit includes a sheet transport that advances sheets from the copier/duplicator to the booklet finisher. Covers are stacked on two supports in the inserter unit and fed from the supports to the sheet transport. An inverter in the unit can invert a cover before it reaches the booklet finisher.

Abstract: Multiple sets of copies are produced of a document made up of a plurality of document sheets having pages to be copied arranged in a predetermined order. The pages of the document sheets are presented at a position for copying, and each page of the document is illuminated once each time the page is presented for copying. An optical system provides a plurality of optical paths from a page being illuminated to a photoconductor so that duplicate latent images are formed on the photoconductor each time a page of the document sheet is illuminated. In this manner, the photoconductor receives a plurality of images of one page of the document followed by a plurality of images of a second page of the document. The latent images are developed and transferred to copy sheets, and the resulting duplicate copy sheets are collected at a plurality of stations. Duplicate copy sheets are directed to different stations so that the stations each receive a set of copies of the document.

Abstract: An electrographic apparatus has a transparent photoconductor on which visible images are formed by applying toner to a latent electrostatic image. The toned image is subsequently transferred to a copy sheet and fused to the sheet. A post-development erase lamp is located on one side of the photoconductor. The density of toned images on the photoconductor is measured by light rays from the erase lamp traveling through the photoconductor and a toned control image thereon to a photodetector on the opposite side of the photoconductor. This eliminates the need for special lamps used only for measuring the density of toned control images.

Abstract: A set of sheets delivered seriatim from a copier/duplicator or other source are advanced along a sheet path leading from an input station to an assembly station where a booklet is formed. As a sheet is moved along the path a line of adhesive is applied to one surface of the sheet adjacent to one side edge of the sheet. In the assembly station the sheets are jogged to align the sheets of the set and then pressure is applied to the sheets over the line of adhesive. When the entire set has been bound together into a booklet, the booklet is removed from the assembly station and delivered to an output station, such as a tote tray.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing finished booklets from a plurality of sheets includes an assembly station where a set of sheets are assembled together to form a booklet and a collection station for receiving booklets produced in the assembly station. A door on the apparatus is ordinarily closed to limit access by an operator to the assembly station and the collection station during operation of the apparatus. The door is opened for removal of assembled booklets from the collection station. A passage is provided for delivering a booklet from inside the apparatus to a position where the booklet is accessible from the outside of the apparatus. A booklet can be engaged after it is assembled in the assembly station and delivered through the passage to the outside of the apparatus where it can be examined by the operator during production of additional booklets. By obtaining a booklet in this manner, and without opening the door, the operator is not exposed to the mechanical and electrical mechanisms of the apparatus.

Abstract: A document feeder is mounted for pivotal movement about a side edge portion of a copier/duplicator between a first position over an exposure station or platen of the copier/duplicator and a second position away from the exposure station so that individual documents sheets, books or the like can be manually placed directly on the exposure station for copying. As the feeder moves from its first position to its second position the feeder first pivots about one axis and then, subsequently, about a second axis offset further from the platen than the first axis. Thus the feeder is stepped away from the edge of the copier exposure station to provide a relatively large area that is available for receiving a book or large document on the exposure station for copying. A counterbalancing arrangement is provided for balancing the weight of the feeder as it moves between its two positions.

Abstract: Reproduction apparatus for producing duplex collated copies from duplex and simplex original documents. A document feeding section circulates original document sheets a plurality of times to an exposure position. In a duplex mode of operation, the originals are inverted between alternative odd and even circulations such that even pages are presented for exposure on the first and every subsequent odd circulation and odd pages are presented for exposure on the second and every subsequent even circulation. In a simplex mode of operation, the pages are copied selectively, even pages on odd circulations, and the odd pages on even circulations. A duplexing section of the copier, including a first-in first-out intermediate hopper, operates in coordination with the feeding section to present and re-present copy supports to a position for receiving images on the appropriate first and second faces of the copy supports.

Abstract: In an adhesive binder sheets received in an upper tray are driven past an adhesive applicator, through an inverting path and into a lower tray where the sheets are jogged and aligned. As the sheets are moved past the adhesive applicator, adhesive is applied to all but one sheet so that the sheets in the lower tray have adhesive between each two adjacent sheets. After a complete set of sheets are received in the lower tray, a bar applies pressure to the sheets in the area of the adhesive to form a booklet, and then the completed booklet is removed from the lower hopper. In accordance with the apparatus and method of the present invention, the first two sheets of a set of sheets are offset and then stopped during movement between the upper tray and the lower tray in order to provide sufficient time for the preceeding booklet to be finished and removed from the lower tray.

Abstract: A copier/duplicator has transparent photoconductor with a first surface on which a latent electrostatic image is formed. The latent image is developed by toner particles applied as the photoconductor is moved through a development station. A toner concentration monitor includes an emitting element and a detector. The emitting element directs a beam of radiation through the photoconductor from a second surface thereof toward an area of the development station where a developer mixture including toner particles is being provided to the first surface of the photoconductor. The detector is located adjacent the second surface of the photoconductor to receive rays emitted by the element and reflected from the developer mixture through the transparent photoconductor.