Abstract: A simple, low cost corrugation device for removing curl from sheets includes a compliant corrugator roll that is effective with light weight, low beam strength papers needing corrugation and passive with heavy weight, high beam stiffness papers not needing/not wanting corrugation. One type of corrugation roll is a cylindrical elastomeric roll made of a foam or sponge-like material. An alternative corrugator roll configuration is a hollow frustrum of a cone.

Abstract: A planar ion source, charging device includes a resistive comb pattern on a rigid planar dielectric support with the comb pattern extending to the edge(s) of one or more slots through the dielectric support.

Abstract: A copying and or printing apparatus including a duplex feeder for feeding sheets having had page image information copied/printed on one side thereof, back to a copying/printing station for transferring page image information to the other side thereof. The duplex feeder includes a buffer tray that can be positioned above and slightly upstream of a feeder tray. The buffer tray stores copy sheets exceeding the maximum capacity of the feeder tray such that the copier/printer can process a greater number of duplex copies in a single run.

Abstract: A hydrid nudger roll for use in a friction retard feeder includes alternating elastomeric and studded rolls positioned on a support shaft. The outer surface of the elastomeric rolls extends beyond the tips of the studded rolls, but when the elastomeric rolls are deformed against a stack of sheets due to normal force, the tips of the studded rolls extends beyond the outer surface of the elastomeric rolls.

Abstract: A pivot brake is used in conjunction with a ball-on-belt transport and dual registration edge guides to rotate and register the output of printers by 90.degree. to satisfy on-line finishing requirements. As a sheet is fed into the rotation mechanism by the ball-on-belt transport, it encounters the pivot brake which retards its travel. The ball-on-belt transport continues to drive the sheet, thereby rotating it about the brake and into the registration edge guides.

Abstract: A one piece, low cost, self-loading, articulating and hard surfaced idler roll is provided for use in a xerographic copying machine or the like. The idler roll includes an outer core with a surface of sufficient hardness to be non-compliant when sheet material and a drive roll comes into contact with it. A compliant material is positioned between a shaft which can be hollow and the outer core in order to complete the one piece structure and allow the idler roll to articulate about the shaft to diminish skewed entry of sheets into the nip formed between the idler roll and the drive roll.

Abstract: A gravity fed, "load-while-run" envelope feeder places a high capacity envelope storage bin's long dimension against a printer which creates a small footprint. The feeder transfers the envelopes from the storage bin to a horizontal transporation area with the rotation of a motor driven blade to within access of the printer's feed rollers. The blade catches an envelope's flap to feed it and rotates it by 90.degree. into the transportation area.

Abstract: In order to minimize the footprint of a copier, a two-part paper tray is used with one part of the paper tray being pivotably attached to another part of the paper tray for pivoting upward along the back of the copier during use. The pivoting of the paper tray also serves to minimize multi-feeding by fanning the copy sheets.

Abstract: A modular customer installable bypass paper transport that allows printed output from a printer to bypass an output tray of the printer and pass directly into a separate finisher includes a cover assembly and two locating springs that are essential for proper location of idler which are part of the cover and drive rollers during re-engagement of the idler and drive rollers after a jam has been cleared. The two wire form springs are attached to the cover and a cover support member and are stressed from a home position when the cover is slid to a remote position for jam clearing. As the cover is slid back to its home position, the springs pull the cover and idler rollers into proper alignment with mating drive rollers.

Abstract: An apparatus in which sheet material is decurled. The apparatus includes a baffle type decurler in which a sheet moving therethrough chooses one of three paths and baffles, depending on the direction and amount of curl. Triangular shaped baffles prevent sheet stubbing and a decurling system reverse bends the sheets in two of the three paths.

Abstract: A cleaning device for an electrostatographic copying machine collects residual toner from a photoconductive surface of the copying machine by the use of fiber-like bristles adhered to a face of a slit through which air is pulled by a vacuum pump. The bristles are pressed gently into sliding contact with the imaging surface and thereby loosens the toner for capture by the vacuum pump through the slit. An alternative would be to use open-cell foam in place of the bristles.

Abstract: A scorotron charging device for charging the surface of a receptor includes a ribbon coronode with a curvilinear field modifying screen surrounding a major portion of the ribbon to level the charge and decrease the possibility of arcing.

Abstract: A document handling apparatus includes a friction retard feeder for feeding documents from a stack. The friction retard feeder has a feed roll and a concave surfaced retard pad that inhibits stubbing of documents during feeding.

Abstract: A modular, customer installable bypass paper transport allows printed output from a printer to bypass an output tray of the printer and pass directly into a separate finisher so as to ensure no detrimental impact on the IOT of the printer when the units are coupled or decoupled. The bypass transport fits into an output tray of the finisher and is powered by the printer. Alignment is accomplished by the use of two switches on the mating end of the bypass transport that have plunger type actuators that are actuated with minimal contact with the separate finisher in order to indicate correct or incorrect docking of the separate finisher with the bypass transport.

Abstract: Sheet feeding apparatus for a buffer tray of a xerographic reproduction machine comprises a belt for conveying sheets to the tray, input and output rolls which co-operate with the belt at the input and the output respectively of the apparatus, and an intermediate roll which can co-operate with the belt at a point intermediate its length. The output roll is mounted on an end guide of the buffer tray and, as a result, moves lengthwise of the belt when the end guide is moved to enable the tray to receive sheets of different lengths. If the output roll is moved from one side of the intermediate roll, remote from the input roll, to the other, it causes the intermediate roll to move to an inoperative position (in which it does not co-operate with the belt) and operates a latch to hold the intermediate roll in that position. The reverse movement of the output roll releases the latch and allows the intermediate roll to return to the position in which it co-operates with the belt.

Abstract: In order to minimize the handling of large copy sheets when the feeding of a different size or type of copy sheet is required, and insertable copy sheet tray is included that is inserted on top of copy sheets already in a copy sheet tray for feeding purposes and removed once the requisite number of different size or type of copy sheets have been fed.

Abstract: A low cost and efficient system for magnetic ink character recognition provides a magnetic image over a non-magnetic toned image which can be an on-line or off-line component of an imaging apparatus. Magnetic ink is applied to selected characters from a thin film that includes a magnetic media by utilizing a heater member to promote release of the magnetic ink to the previously toned characters.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a charging device for charging the surface of a receptor with the charging device including a ribbon coronode with field modifying electrodes parallel to the ribbon that decrease the possibility of arcing.

Abstract: A modular customer installable bypass paper transport that allows printed output from a printer to bypass an output tray of the printer and pass directly into a separate finisher. The bypass transport fits into an output tray of the finisher and is powered by the printer.

Abstract: A charging device includes a thin (1 mil) conductive strip edge-on used as a coronode.