Abstract: There is provided for use with a conveyor, an unloading apparatus for automatically removing a stack of sheets from a succession of shelves or bins, as in a collator, and conveying it to a desired location. The unloading apparatus includes a gripper which is adapted to advance to grip the sheets as presented on a shelf and then retract to insert the stack of sheets onto a conveyor, e.g. a tape conveyor. The gripper includes a four-bar linkage whereby the upper one of its jaws is elevated from a position beneath the plane of travel of the stack of sheets into gripping relation with the stack by a spring biased over-center action. The gripper with the stack is moved linearly onto the conveyor which takes over from the gripper to continue the movement of the stack of sheets. At the delivery end of the gripper stroke, the four-bar linkage is actuated in an opposite direction, the stack released, and the upper jaw retracted out of the path of the stack.

Abstract: Developing apparatus for diazo copy sheets is provided wherein the development chamber is supplied with anhydrous ammonia gas drawn from the region above the liquid ammonia solution in a reservoir. The ammonia gas is withdrawn from the reservoir by a pump which moves it into the development chamber. Due to the gas inflow inspired by the pump, the gas mixture in the chamber is caused to migrate out of the chamber by a return conduit whose outlet end is positioned below the surface of the liquid in the reservoir. The copy sheet transport means is a roll which occupies a mouth formed in a wall of the development chamber, and means are provided for effectively sealing the chamber contact margins against the roller to prevent escape of gas therefrom. The development chamber is arranged to snap over the roller and to be largely supported and positioned thereby.

Abstract: A roll for friction feeding copy paper in the developer section of diazo copying machines is constructed by roughening its surface to a degree which provides an RMS value of 150 to 350 microinches, and then subjecting the thus roughened surface to a hard coat anodizing treatment.

Abstract: The description deals with a process of duplicating page order sheets designed to greatly augment the output of existing office duplicators by preparing masters each of which carries the image of two pages of data. The master is placed on the cylinder with the page lengths axially disposed and the page widths peripherally disposed, and prints on long sheets each of which carries two pages of data side by side, each being placed in successive pockets of a collator. The stack of printed sheets in each pocket is then placed in a paper stack cutter and cut into two stacks of standard sized sheets. The present invention relates to the discovery that a certain page order sequence of originals can be devised which will allow the whole process to proceed in an orderly routine manner, materially simplifying the procedure for the operator.

Abstract: There is provided an improved automatic recirculating duplicator adapted for duplicating from a master or plate selectively onto one or both sides of paper sheets. It is characterized by a single printing couple. Sheets are fed from a paper table to a printing nip between a printing cylinder and an impression cylinder for printing on the first side and, through operation of a controlled gripping and stripping apparatus, the sheets are turned about the impression cylinder for collection with the printed sides down on a paper tray. The paper tray is then shifted to the feeding location normally occupied by the paper table, and the gripping and stripping apparatus is reset for feeding the sheets, now printed on both sides, directly to an exterior receiver.

Abstract: A pressure roll assembly for applying pressure forces to sheet material articles being driven by a conveyor. A pressure roll is mounted for rotation about a central axis. A longitudinally extending leaf spring has a first portion which supports the pressure roll for rotation about its central axis, and a longitudinally spaced second portion which is fixedly connected with a support member so that the leaf spring supports the pressure roll in a cantilevered condition. An axially extending shaft is disposed normal to the longitudinal axis of the leaf spring and is fixed to the support member. Means are provided for guiding the shaft for axial movement and for restraining movement of the shaft transverse to its axis. Means are further provided for adjusting the axial position of the shaft for adjusting the pressure in the nip between the pressure roll and the conveyor surface.

Abstract: There is provided a corona filament assembly which is characterized by parallel rails each having a plurality of binding posts secured thereto. Each post is formed of a button about which the filament turns and having a lip spaced from the rail and an O-ring gripping element compressibly coacting between the rail and the lip to hold the filament. The filament is wound about the binding posts in a serpentine manner and tightly retained by the O-ring.

Abstract: A lithographic ink and moisture control system is provided for maintaining copy quality over a wide range of operating and environmental conditions without special operator assistance. The control system, among other things, momentarily increases the moisture feed rate each time ink is added to the system to maintain a substantially constant ink/moisture balance at the master, particularly under high coverage conditions.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for incrementally advancing a shaft by a selected rotational amount. The apparatus includes a belt trained about a pair of space driven pulleys, the belt forming both first and second runs between the pulleys. Each pulley is associated with a shaft and is mounted for rotation in one direction only, with brake means designed to resist rotation of the pulley in the opposite direction. Means are provided for alternately deflecting the first and second runs of the belt to advance each shaft by an incremental amount in the one direction. In this manner, either or both shafts can be used for whatever purposes an incrementally advancing shaft is needed or desired.

Abstract: A method of fixing a toner powder image on a sheet of material. A substantially flat impact surface is provided, and the side of a sheet opposite to the side carrying a freshly applied toner powder image is placed into contact with the flat impact surface. The surface of the sheet of material carrying the toner powder image is impacted by a plurality of pellets, each of which has an impacting area which is substantially smaller than the area of the surface of the sheet of material carrying the toner powder image. The pellets are preferably repeatedly impacted against the sheet of material and in a random manner to achieve pressure fixing of the entire surface of the sheet of material.

Abstract: A novel ink fountain comprises a fountain roller radially approached by an ink supporting doctor blade. In order to retain low viscosity inks in the fountain, the blade must approach very closely to the fountain roller surface without touching it. To accommodate the potentially irregular surface of fountain rollers, the blade is rendered transversely deflectable in segments by means of cut-outs, and vernier adjustment means acting on the segments may be used to conform the blade closely to the roller surface condition.

Abstract: An improved copy system includes a document feeding apparatus which is effective to move a document to an imaging station. An image on one side of the document is then projected on an electrostatically charged sheet to form a first master. The document is then transferred to an inverting mechanism which is effective to turn the document over and return it to the imaging station. A second master is then formed. The masters are sequentially transferred to a duplicating section which includes a printing unit. The printing unit utilizes the masters to print on one side of a sheet of material as it passes through a printing nip. During a printing operation, blank sheets are sequentially fed from a supply pile through the printing nip and the first master is utilized to print images on first or front sides of the sheets. The sheets which have been printed on only one side are then sequentially deposited in a hopper.

Abstract: A duplicator is provided having a printing couple for printing on one face of a copy sheet and a collator for collating the copy sheets as they issue from the printing couple, the paper feed paths of the printing couple and the collator being arranged substantially normal to each other. The duplicator also includes special sheet handling means for passing the copy sheet from the printing couple to the collator and also inverting the sheet. The copy sheet is advanced in a first path and direction away from the printing couple and is advanced in a second path substantially normal to the first path in a second direction towards the collator. The sheet handling means comprises a sheet turn-over device positioned to intersect the copy sheet paths for receiving and progressively inverting the copy sheet as it is advanced in the first path and simultaneously directing the sheet from the first to the second path.

Abstract: A sheet handling means is provided for use with a duplicating machine. A duplicator is provided having first and second printing couples for printing first on one face of a copy sheet and then on the other and whose paper feed paths are arranged substantially normal to each other. The duplicator also includes special sheet handling means for passing the copy sheet from the first to the second printing couple and also inverting the sheet. The copy sheet is advanced in a first path and direction away from the first printing couple and is advanced in a second path substantially normal to the first path in a second direction towards the second printing couple. The sheet handling means comprises a sheet turn-over device positioned to intersect the copy sheet paths for receiving and progressively inverting the copy sheet as it is advanced in the first path and simultaneously directing the sheet from the first to the second path.

Abstract: A blanket cleaning apparatus is provided for cleaning ink from a blanket cylinder of a rotary offset duplicating machine. The apparatus comprises a cleaning roller for contact with the blanket cylinder, a wiper roller and a metering roller in contact with each other and with the cleaning roller, and a wringer roller in interfering relation with the wiper roller at the zone of contact to effect deformation of the peripheral surface of the wiper roller. A cleaning fluid is supplied to the wringer roller which transfers the fluid to the wiper roller and meters the amount of fluid carried by the wiper roller to the cleaning roller for cleaning the blanket cylinder.

Abstract: A duplicator system and method are provided for preparing a lithographic master and for producing duplicated copies from the master in a fully automated system. An ink and moisture system is provided for supplying ink and moisture to a master on a master cylinder. During a pre-inking phase, an ink ductor roller is operative for a predetermined duration within variable ranges, as determined by the number of duplicated copies to be reproduced, and a moisture roller is operative to transmit moisture to the inking system. An early moisture circuit is also provided for conditioning the system by supplying moisture prior to a pre-inking phase in those instances wherein there has been a significant delay between the processing of two consecutive masters. Control means including a sensing device is provided for sensing the ambient temperature at an ink fountain and providing an indication thereof at predetermined temperature values.

Abstract: A moisture system control apparatus is provided for metering the rate of feed of dampening fluid from a fountain apparatus including a fountain roller to a master on a master cylinder of a lithographic duplicating machine. The control apparatus comprises a linkage for converting continuous rotary input motion to incremental rotation of the fountain roller, and infinitely variable selector apparatus for adjusting the magnitude of the rotation increments employed during a first mode of operation which obtains while printing is in progress.

Abstract: A moisture system control apparatus is provided for metering the rate of feed of dampening fluid from a fountain apparatus including a fountain roller to a master on a master cylinder of a lithographic duplicating machine. The control apparatus comprises a linkage for converting continuous rotary input motion to incremental rotation of the fountain roller, and infinitely variable selector apparatus for adjusting the magnitude of the rotation increments employed during a first mode of operation which obtains while printing is in progress.

Abstract: In order to make utmost use of the time and effort of an operator, a duplication system has been devised in which first the duplicator equipment feeds the copy paper along a linear path while producing the copies, the path then turns, and the copy is fed by a direction changing means in a direction substantially normal to the original path into a sheet distributor which has its unloading apertures arranged so as to be convenient to an operator standing at an operator station beside the discharge end of the duplicator device at the operation side thereof. The distributor is of a type such that the unloading openings are exposed to operator access at or slightly above waist level, and is preferably a rotary distributor capable of moving the filled pockets to a fixed unloading position.

Abstract: An improved printing apparatus control system regulates the operation of a sheet feed assembly which sequentially moves sheets of material to and from a printing station and a plate feed assembly which sequentially moves printing plates to and from the printing station. A photocell detects initial movement of a leading end portion of the printed sheet of material away from the printing station under the influence of the sheet feed assembly. This photocell is also utilized to detect when the printed sheet of material has completely exited from the printing station. A second photocell detects the presence of the succeeding sheet of material at the printing station. The control system also includes a sensor which detects the removal of one printing plate from the printing station, the absence of a printing plate at the printing station, and the subsequent arrival of the next succeeding printing plate at the printing station.