Abstract: A method and system to regulate the sheet transport speed in a sheet handling device. Sheets are transported at a transport speed governed by an assigned signal. The actual transport speed of the sheets is determined and the assigned signal is adjusted to make the actual transport speed match a desired transport speed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to media handling devices and media handling methods. One aspect of the invention provides a media handling method including providing a media handling device having an initial media path; selectively moving a guide member using a motor intermediate a first position where the guide member is spaced from media within the initial media path and a second position where the guide member contacts the media within the initial media path; applying a control signal to the motor to control the moving; and modulating the control signal.

Abstract: A system has a media handler to transports media (e.g., paper, transparencies, etc.) from an input bin through a processing unit to a collection tray. A tray adjustment mechanism moves the collection tray down and up as media is collected and occasionally removed by the operator. An overload detector detects an overload condition when the media stack on the tray becomes too heavy. The overload detector indirectly measures the stack weight by measuring the speed of the tray (or media stack) or alternatively, by monitoring the motor current. Once overload is detected, the system stops the tray to avoid damaging the tray adjustment mechanism and/or tray. The system notifies the operator via a visual message or an audible alarm. A recovery manager is then invoked to return the tray to the appropriate position after the operator has removed the media stack. In user-assisted recovery, the system awaits some explicit input from the operator that the media stack has been removed.

Abstract: A discharge tray for a sheet material handling device such as a printer includes multiple stapler mechanisms. The multiple stapler mechanisms are positioned along an edge of a discharge tray so that, by selectively engaging the stapler mechanisms, a desired staple pattern is established according to the nature of an assembled document and according to sheet sizes of the sheet material.

Abstract: In a device that ejects one or more sheets of media to a moveable, remote output storage location, a method and apparatus for improving output stack quality is described. An invented stack holder holds previously-ejected sheets in place, so that the ejection of a newly-accumulated job does not cause misalignment of the stack by pushing the paper that it contacts during its movement. The preferred stack holder(s) each have an arm that extends down from a part of an accumulator and have a friction pad or area near its end. The system logic causes the stack tray to move up until the top of the output stack is sensed to be at a location that means it is abutting against the stack holder(s). In this position, the stack holder(s) place enough downward pressure on the top sheets of the output stack to hold the top sheets in place while an accumulated job is rejected onto the output stack.