Abstract: A printing system comprises at least two input sources for storing a printable medium prior to printing. The printing system also includes at least two output destinations for holding or processing the printable medium after the printing. A user interface supports a user's selection of one of the output destinations for any sheet of a print job in at least one of the input sources prior to the printing. A central processing unit determines a pattern of media feeds for each output set to achieve a desired appearance characteristic for the output set or the print job associated with the output destinations. The central data processing unit creates media feed instructions based on the pattern of media feeds.

Abstract: A method is provided for substantially matching a first output produced by a first marking device with a second output produced by a second marking device. A first set of sample tone levels is produced using the first marking device. A second set of sample tone levels is then produced using the second marking device. The first and second sets of sample tone levels are then compared and one or more calibration set points are determined. A custom tone transfer function associated with the first marking device is generated in accordance with the calibration set points. The first output is then produced from the first marking device using the custom tone transfer function.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for electrographic image development, wherein the image development process is optimized by subjecting the developer to magnetic field maxima, thereby imparting to the developer a velocity component in a direction perpendicular to the process direction, ensuring that the toner particles thus accelerated have sufficient kinetic energy to overcome the binding energy binding the toner particles to the carrier particles in the developer, and to be deposited on a receiver bearing an electrostatic latent image. The optimized image is developed to completion, where development to completion is characterized by a proportionality between the cube of the toner charge to mass ratio and a quantity consisting of the magnitude of the voltage of the toning shell minus the magnitude of the voltage of the toned image.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to the field of fusing powder toner images on receiver sheets. According to various aspects of the invention, methods and apparatus are provided of cleaning, only during standby, a pressure roller that cooperates with a fuser roller in fusing toner images. The pressure roller is cleaned with a cleaning pad mounted adjacent the pressure roller in an electrographic printer.

Abstract: A sheet feeder comprising a platform for stacking sheets and feed head assembly at the front of the platform for acquiring individual sheets from the stack and feeding separate sheets into a sheet handling machine. The feed head assembly is comprised of a vacuum plenum having a port plate, across which a perforated belt(s) moves in a closed loop. The port plate includes ports wherein the air flow through some of the ports is restricted by an intermediate plate positioned within the plenum which, in turn, has a restrictive passage therein through which air from the restricted ports must flow into the plenum.

Abstract: The registration and skew information of a document about to be scanned are detected prior to capturing the entire image of the document. Two sensors, a fixed distance apart, are used to detect the document skew. A third sensor is used to detect the edge position of the document. Paper sensors in the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) are used to determine the document size. The data from the skew sensors are used to calculate the required skew correction angle and direction by which to rotate the image. The document edge position information together with skew information is used to determine the exact location of a corner of the document. This information is used to correct skewed image in real-time, during scanning the document.

Abstract: A system and method for providing the ability to more effectively control a paper stack in a reproduction apparatus. The level control behavior of the paper stack is characterized, and accordingly, additional lift commands are signaled when the behavior indicates that such increments are necessary. The behavior is characterized by sampling data during a sampling period including switch initiated increments. Upon characterization, additional increments are initiated by a source other than the switch initiated increments to more effectively control the paper stack.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the efficiency of a vacuum-assisted, fuser entrance guide in a marking engine by varying the vacuum on the guide as a sheet of marking medium moves thereacross wherein a low vacuum is applied on the guide while the sheet of marking medium is being transported across the guide solely by the vacuum transport and is then increased once the lead edge of the sheet enters the nip between the fuser rollers and the sheet becomes driven by the more powerful force of the fuser rollers. The higher vacuum provides a greater attraction force on the sheet, which, in turn, prevents the trail edge of the sheet from sagging or drooping from the guide's surface.

Abstract: A wire tensioning mechanism for tensioning a wire having an end one and an end two in a machine in which the wire has a means for attachment on end two and is fixed to the machine at end one, comprises a slide block, and a spring. The slide block is slidably mounted to the machine at end two of the wire, such that the slide block slides parallel to the wire. The slide block has a slot which is wider than the wire but narrower than the means for attachment, such that when the slide block is mounted on the machine, the wire end two can be slid into the slot such that pulling the slide block in the direction away from the wire forces the means for attachment against the slot, but does not allow the means for attachment to pass through. The slot is lined up with the wire such that when the wire is in tension, there are no side loads on the means for attachment.

Abstract: A means and a method for increasing the efficiency of a vacuum-assisted, fuser entrance guide in an electrophotographic apparatus by blocking and deflecting air currents away the sheet of copy medium as the sheet moves from a vacuum transport towards the entrance guide. A baffle is positioned in the gap between the vacuum transport and the fuser entrance guide that form the travel path for the sheet through the apparatus. The baffle has a deflecting surface that extends substantially across the gap, which diverts the air currents away from the sheet.

Abstract: The present invention relates in general to a corona charger for use in an electrostatographic reproduction apparatus or the like, and more particularly to a cleaning mechanism for the corona wires of a corona charger. According to one aspect, a corona wire assembly is provided having a corona wire and a cleaning pad with a hole, the corona wire extending through the hole. According to another aspect, a method for cleaning a corona wire is provided wherein relative movement is generated between a corona wire and a cleaning pad having a hole, the corona wire extending through the hole. According to a further aspect, a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the surface of a corona wire within a corona charger is provided having a cleaning pad, a corona wire passing through the cleaning pad and positioning the cleaning pad in at least one direction lateral to the corona wire, and a holding member holding the cleaning pad without restraining the cleaning pad in the at least one direction lateral to the corona wire.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and method for treating the surface of an article in connection with printing. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and device, which is capable of checking the motion of a roller in a device for fixing toner on printed sheet or web material using a magnet and a magnetic sensitive element located in a fixed position near the rotating element so as to sense the passage of at least a pole thereof at each rotation of the magnet.

Abstract: An image-production system includes a marking engine. The image-forming production system may also include an inserter. The marking engine includes a marking engine controller, a speed adjust system and a registration system. The registration system aligns sheets going to an imaging unit. The speed adjust system controller includes a speed adjust system controller. When at least one sheet approaches the speed adjust system, the marking engine controller transmits a synch pulse signal to the speed adjust system controller. The speed adjust system transmits a signal to the speed adjust system controller of the arrival time of the at least one sheet. The speed adjust system compares the measured arrival time with the synch pulse signal to adjust a speed and timing of the sheet before the sheet is transferred to the registration system.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to processes for electrostatic image development, and setpoints that provide uniform image development. In particular, an apparatus and process having a magnetic brush that implements a rotating magnetic core within a shell is disclosed. The process implements one or more of the following optimum setpoints: a range of shell surface speeds that provide uniform toning density, a range of shell surface speeds that prevent toner plate-out, a skive spacing that minimizes sensitivity to variation, a magnetic core speed that minimizes sensitivity to variation, and an imaging member spacing that minimizes sensitivity to variation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wire feed device for guiding and straightening a wire which is comprised of a wire infeed unit and a self-cleaning deflection head which are connected together by a flexible guide hose. The wire infeed unit has a guide passage therethrough whose inlet and outlet are offset so the wire will remain in contact with a contact element within the passage to generate a signal when the wire is in the passage. The deflection head has a guide arc-shaped guide passage therethrough which, in turn, have outwardly radiating pockets spaced along the outer side thereof which remove debris (e.g. the material abraded from the wire and wire shavings) transport it out of the deflection head. Dimpled guide points are formed on the other side of the arc-shaped guide passage opposite the pockets to facilitate the self-cleaning of the wire. A wire straightening sleeve is positioned downstream of the deflection head, which can generate a control/monitoring signal is positioned downstream of the head.

Abstract: The invention is in the field of aligning sheets of printed materials, of the type that aligns sheets of printed materials for a desired output, for example, from a finishing device. According one aspect of the invention, an alignment device is provided configured as a separate, replaceable unit. According to a further aspect of the invention, an alignment device and process are provided wherein a sheet is inverted about one or both axes.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, an apparatus and process are provided for transporting sheet-shaped print material. A first transport element and a first contact element are actuated to transport a sheet-shaped print material with alignment against an alignment stop. A second transport element and a second contact element are actuated to transport sheet-shaped print material past the alignment stop without alignment against the alignment stop.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for distributing flexible sheet-shaped objects into multiple selectable target stations of a sheet material processing device, wherein the distributing device is mounted between a supply station and sheet conveyor units of the target stations. According to a preferred embodiment, the distributing device has several sheet deflecting elements that are connected together, and which are moveable together by a single drive unit.

Abstract: A device is provided for holding one or more stacks of sheets, especially stacks of sheets that are stored offset to each other, for example by offset collating, that are output to an output station by a sheet processing device. According to an aspect of the invention, the device consists of a portable container that can be placed at the output station of the sheet processing device, which has a horizontally aligned stacking floor, two upright side walls that are opposite each other and an upright impact wall that is arranged downstream of the sheet output device for the stack of sheets.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to development apparatus for mixing and applying developer material to a latent image on an image-bearing member in an electrostatographic reproduction machine, such as a copier or printer. More particularly, this invention relates to a blender of the type for mixing electrostatographic developer comprising a plurality of blender segments mounted on a shaft. A resilient spacer is provided, according to an aspect of the invention, wherein said resilient spacer and said plurality of blender segments are compressed between said pair of stops. Residual looseness due to tolerance stack-up is eliminated.