Abstract: Embodiments herein comprise an apparatus that includes a printing engine and an interposer adapted to receive printed sheets from the printing engine. The interposer adds insert sheets between printed sheets. The interposer includes a decurler positioned within the interposer so as to decurl the printed sheets after the interposer adds the insert sheets. The printing engine adds a curl to the printed sheets and the decurler removes the curl from the printed sheets. The decurler can comprise a roller-based decurler, a heated decurler, a pressure based decurler, and/or a moisture-vacuum based decurler.

Abstract: A web handling module has been developed for horizontally transporting a web under a printer having at least one print head. The web handling module includes a plenum, an air vent coupled to the plenum, the air vent being coupled to an air handler and configured to generate a negative air pressure inside the plenum, a support plate sealingly coupled to the plenum, the support plate having a plurality of apertures configured to allow air to pass through the plurality of apertures, and a porous belt wound about the support plate to form a continuous loop, the porous belt enabling the negative air pressure to couple the porous belt to a web moving over the support plate to rotate the porous belt about the support plate without relative motion occurring between the web and the porous belt.

Abstract: Reprographic or imaging systems and methods issue a command to place multiple finishing devices into an alternating delivery mode such that consecutive sets are sent to different finishing devices, rather than to the same finishing device.

Abstract: According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided methods and systems for handling warranty services in a printing environment through use of an automatic process that writes all necessary warranty claim data into a log that be sent to a warranty service provider for print head replacement. The invention, in one embodiment, avoids the additional costs and time for sending a print head to the warranty service provider, and minimizes any administration efforts of the warranty service provider. The invention reduces print head warranty process validation time and makes the process more robust by tracking initial install date, current system date, and usage of the print head to ensure the print head has been used and maintained properly during the warranty period. The warranty data is stored in an encrypted field so that it cannot be changed. Further, the warranty service provider and authorized users can request a warranty claim receipt without the need to remove or idle the print head.

Abstract: A web handling module has been developed for horizontally transporting a web under a printer having at least one print head. The web handling module includes a plenum, an air vent coupled to the plenum, the air vent being coupled to an air handler and configured to generate a negative air pressure inside the plenum, a support plate sealingly coupled to the plenum, the support plate having a plurality of apertures configured to allow air to pass through the plurality of apertures, and a porous belt wound about the support plate to form a continuous loop, the porous belt enabling the negative air pressure to couple the porous belt to a web moving over the support plate to rotate the porous belt about the support plate without relative motion occurring between the web and the porous belt.

Abstract: This is a stacker/stitcher assembly having two disc stackers facing each other. In between the stackers is a common collection tray for receiving the stacked substrates. The assembly can handle printed output of up to 360 ppm. A bypass is provided to divert printed substrates to an exit tray or another finishing station including disc stackers.

Abstract: This is a stacker/stitcher assembly having two disc stackers facing each other. In between the stackers is a common collection tray for receiving the stacked substrates. The assembly can handle printed output of up to 360 ppm. A bypass is provided to divert printed substrates to an exit tray or another finishing station including disc stackers.

Abstract: Reprographic or imaging systems and methods issue a command to place multiple finishing devices into an alternating delivery mode such that consecutive sets are sent to different finishing devices, rather than to the same finishing device.

Abstract: Embodiments herein comprise an apparatus that includes a printing engine and an interposer adapted to receive printed sheets from the printing engine. The interposer adds insert sheets between printed sheets. The interposer includes a decurler positioned within the interposer so as to decurl the printed sheets after the interposer adds the insert sheets. The printing engine adds a curl to the printed sheets and the decurler removes the curl from the printed sheets. The decurler can comprise a roller-based decurler, a heated decurler, a pressure based decurler, and/or a moisture-vacuum based decurler.

Abstract: An improvement in a finishing system that eliminates ‘cut and try’ by a user in trying to place staples in copy sheet sets in a desired position includes using input media orientation and the user's Finishing Selection to determine stapling position on output copy sheets.

Abstract: A method is provided for printing a job in a printing system including a printer communicating with a memory section, wherein images, in the form of image data, are transmitted to the memory section, from an input source, for use in printing the job and the printing of the job is facilitated by a print processor. The method includes the steps of building a scheduling list, indicating an order in which images of the job are to be printed, and storing the scheduling list in a location that is accessible to the print processor. The method further includes the steps of retrieving an image from the input source, with the print processor, by referring to information in the stored scheduling list and providing an indication, in the scheduling list, when the image is resident in the memory section. Upon determining that the indication has been provided, a print is produced with a copy of the image.

Abstract: A method of recovery from a machine paper jam with a plurality of sheets in a duplex tray of a machine operating in a pre-collation mode to provide multiple copy sets, including the steps of recycling the plurality of pre-collated or pre-ordered serial sheets in the duplex tray out of and back into the duplex tray to reorient the images on the sheets, reimaging the sheets that have exited the duplex tray but are still in process, stacking the reimaged sheets into the top of the duplex tray and recycling a second time the plurality of sheets originally in the duplex tray at time of jam into the duplex tray to reorient the images on the sheets for a second time.

Abstract: A method of automatically placing ordered paper stock (covers or inserts) from sets of paper stock, the sets of paper stock comprised of an arbitrary number of covers or inserts, into finished copy sets. In a reproduction job run, and with the method of automatic recovery from a machine paper jam in which the copy sheets or paper stock in process has become misoriented comprising the steps of selecting an automatic paper stock ordering option at the operator interface, programming the required order of the paper stock in a finished set of reproduced documents, determining the repetitive frequency of the insert sheets, and automatically selectively inserting or discarding insert sheets in order to provide sets of copy sheets with uniformly placed paper stock. Also, a method for automatically recovering after an operator jam clearance by selectively purging paper stock to maintain the continuity of the ordered paper stock in the completed copy sets.

Abstract: A method of providing a prominent time of completion display and percentage of completion display for a given job requirement and providing an indication of the amount of paper stock required from several sources of paper stock in a printing system including the steps of responding to entered job requirements to calculate a total time of completion for the given job and the paper stock required from each of the paper stock sources, displaying the total time of completion at the operator interface, displaying the amount of paper stock required from each of the paper stock sources, and initiating the job run and during the job run periodically determining the time to completion of the remaining portion of the job and displaying the time to completion in a prominent bar graph.

Abstract: A reproduction machine having image processing means for forming a image, a controller for directing the operation of the image processing means to complete a job reproduction run, the controller including a random access memory for storing machine status information during a machine cycle down interruption prior to the completion of the job reproduction run, a disk memory, and means for detecting controller faults, the method of saving the status information in the random acess memory including the steps of routinely loading machine status information into the random access memory at a machine cycle down, detecting a pre-determined controller fault causing a machine cycle down, and upon detecting said pre-determined controller fault, automatically transferring the machine status information from the random access memory onto the disk memory.