Abstract: A transfer blade apparatus for ironing a sheet against the photoreceptor belt during transfer, and smoothing out deformities which cause deletions is disclosed. The transfer blades include a flexible tip to absorb the impact of the blade as it contacts paper, and a spring load to limit and control the force applied to the sheet. Sensors are also utilized to monitor and adjust the timing of the blades.

Abstract: An apparatus is described for releasably gripping a sheet and advancing the sheet through a transfer zone and into registration with information developed on a moving member. The apparatus includes a first gripping member and a second gripping member adapted to be moved relative to the first gripping member. The apparatus further includes a mechanism for applying a force on the second gripping member to urge the second gripping member towards the first gripping member to grip the sheet. Moreover, the apparatus includes a mechanism for advancing the first gripping member and the second gripping member through the transfer zone. The apparatus additionally includes a mechanism for moving the second gripping member relative to the first gripping member to acquire or release the sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus which advances a sheet through a transfer zone and into registration with information developed on a moving member. The sheet is advanced to a position wherein a leading portion thereof is immediately ahead of the transfer zone relative to the forward direction of movement of the moving member and a trailing portion thereof is within the transfer zone. The leading portion of the sheet forms a presentation angle of 7-10 degrees with the horizontal. The trailing portion of the sheet is advanced through the transfer zone at a first velocity and the leading edge of the sheet is advanced in a region immediately ahead of the transfer zone at a second velocity, which is less than the first velocity, so as to create a buckle in the leading portion of the sheet positioned immediately ahead of the transfer zone relative to the forward direction of movement of the moving member.

Abstract: A registration transport and transfer module is located in a retractable drawer having a camshaft actuated by a lever. Rotation of the lever turns the cam which cooperates with a mounting to enable the transfer module to be lowered beneath a photoconductive belt. The drawer may then be pulled away from the machine and the transfer module pivoted about a point so as to expose portions of the copy sheet path for jam clearance.

Abstract: An apparatus for advancing a sheet in a predetermined path is described. The apparatus includes a mechanism for advancing the sheet in the path. The apparatus further includes a first mechanism for controlling movement of the sheet while it is being advanced in the path, the first controlling mechanism being in contact with the sheet in a first mode of operation and being spaced apart from the sheet in a second mode of operation. Moreover, the apparatus includes a second mechanism for controlling movement of the sheet while it is being advanced in the path, the second controlling mechanism being in contact with the sheet in a first mode of operation and being spaced apart from the sheet in a second mode of operation.

Abstract: A sheet transport system having a sheet release mechanism to effect release of a sheet from the sheet transport system at a point near the end of the transfer process. The sheet release mechanism includes a member positionable at a first fixed position spaced apart from the path of the sheet and a second fixed position within the path of the sheet. The sheet release mechanism is located on the side of the sheet opposite the side to which the toner image is transferred.

Abstract: An apparatus which advances a sheet through a transfer zone and into registration with information developed on a moving member. The sheet is advanced to a position wherein a leading portion thereof is immediately ahead of the transfer zone relative to the forward direction of movement of the moving member and a trailing portion thereof is within the transfer zone. The trailing portion of the sheet is advanced through the transfer zone at a first velocity and the leading edge of the sheet is advanced in a region immediately ahead of the transfer zone at a second velocity, which is less than the first velocity, so as to create a buckle in the leading portion of the sheet positioned immediately ahead of the transfer zone relative to the forward direction of movement of the moving member. The buckle functions to eliminate relative velocity between the photoconductive belt and any portion of sheet within the transfer zone so as to substantially eliminate slip between the sheet and the photoconductive belt.

Abstract: A sheet transport system having a sheet gripper which includes at least one resilient member used to bias an upper gripping portion toward a lower gripping portion so as to releasably secure the leading edge of a sheet therebetween. The resilient member includes a stop which functions to register the sheet within the sheet gripper.

Abstract: An apparatus which advances a sheet through a transfer zone and into registration with information developed on a moving member. The sheet is advanced to a position wherein a leading portion thereof is within the transfer zone and a trailing portion thereof is immediately behind the transfer zone relative to the forward direction of movement of the moving member. The leading portion of the sheet is advanced through the transfer zone at a first velocity and the trailing portion of the sheet is advanced in a region immediately behind the transfer zone at a second velocity, which is greater than the first velocity, so as to create a buckle in the trailing portion of the sheet in the region. The buckle functions to eliminate relative velocity between the photoconductive belt and any portion of sheet within the transfer zone so as to substantially eliminate slip between the sheet and the photoconductive belt.

Abstract: An apparatus which compensates for the velocity mismatch between adjacent sheet transports. A plate, interposed between the sheet transports, supports the sheet until the leading edge thereof advances from the first sheet transport to the second sheet transport. When the leading edge of the sheet is received by the second sheet transport, the plate pivots away from the sheet to a location remote therefrom. Since the first sheet transport advances the sheet at a greater velocity than the second sheet transport, the sheet forms a buckle to compensate for the velocity mismatch between sheet transports.

Abstract: In a first embodiment a stop having a plurality of ports is connected to and covers an end of a rectangular sleeve. In a region near the stop a narrow wall of the sleeve also has a plurality of ports. A nozzle coupled to a pump provides a flow of air into the other end of the sleeve and the air exits through the ports. With this arrangement, a rectangular sheet inserted into said other end of the sleeve is fluidly brought into registration with the narrow wall and stop. As the sheet is brought into registration fluid injected or drawn through holes in a wide wall of the sleeve is used to force at least a part of the sheet against one of the wide walls and the resulting friction serves to brake the traveling sheet, thereby minimizing impact forces between the sheet, the narrow wall, and the stop. In a second embodiment, similar to the first, the narrow wall and stop include internal projections against which an inserted sheet is registered.

Abstract: A method for changing the direction of travel of a sheet includes the steps of providing a pocket, guiding a sheet traveling in a first direction into the pocket, and providing a fluid stream in the pocket to bias the sheet in a substantially opposite direction, thereby reversing the direction of travel of the sheet.

Abstract: A method for registering a stack of sheets with respect to perpendicularly related axes includes the steps of providing a first sleeve for accommodating the stack of sheets; providing a stop at one end of the sleeve; placing the stack in the sleeve; and providing in the sleeve a fluid stream, whereby the fluid stream moves the sheets down the sleeve in unison and moves the sheets into registration with a wall of the sleeve and the stop. In a modified method a second sleeve is provided in alignment with and adjacent to said first sleeve. The sheets are first placed inside the second sleeve and fluid is drawn from the first sleeve to move the stack. Assistance in moving the stack is provided by fluid injected into the second sleeve, care being taken to prevent a net flow of air out of a gap between the first and second sleeves.

Abstract: A system wherein documents are presented to an exposure station of reproduction apparatus includes a housing in which a rack for storing documents is located. The rack includes a plurality of pockets in each of which a document may be stored, the rack being movable in a vertical direction so that any one of its pockets may be aligned with an opening in the housing. Fluid streams are used to either move a document in an aligned pocket through the opening and to the exposure station or from the exposure station into the pocket. Copies of documents presented to the exposure station are made by the reproduction apparatus. Adjacent the housing there is located an inverter into which documents from the rack are fluidically fed as desired. Inverted documents are returned to the rack with the assistance of a fluid stream. Inverted documents may be fed to the exposure station to provide duplex copies.

Abstract: Apparatus for registering a sheet with respect to perpendicularly related axes is disclosed. Structurally, each embodiment disclosed includes (a) a sleeve for internally accomodating a sheet, at least one point on an inner narrow wall of the sleeve being aligned in parallel with one of the axes; (b) a retractable gate located at one end of the sleeve, in one position the gate having at least one point aligned in parallel with the other of the axes; and (c) means for providing in the sleeve a fluid stream having velocity components normal to each of the axes, whereby when the gate is in said position and a sheet is placed in the sleeve, the stream moves the sheet into abutment with each of said points.

Abstract: A system for presenting documents to a slit-scan xerographic exposure station includes a fluidic storage station having a housing in which a rack for storing documents is located. The rack includes a plurality of pockets in each of which a document may be stored, the rack being movable in a vertical direction so that any one of its pockets may be aligned with an opening in the housing. A fluid stream is used to move a document in a pocket aligned with the opening out of the storage apparatus and into engagement with transport apparatus. The transport apparatus includes a vacuum document drum which moves a document past the exposure station and, in one mode of operation, inverts the document prior to its return to a pocket at the station. In another mode of operation, the direction of travel of the drum is reversed after the document has been exposed and the document is returned without inversion.

Abstract: In a first embodiment, a stop having a plurality of ports is connected to and covers an end of a rectangular sleeve. In a region near the stop, a narrow wall of the sleeve also has a plurality of ports. A nozzle coupled to a pump provides a flow of air into the other end of the sleeve and the air exits through the ports. With this arrangement, a rectangular sheet inserted into said other end of the sleeve is fluidly brought into registration with the narrow wall and stop. After the sheet has been registered, fluid inserted or drawn through holes in a wide wall of the sleeve maintains the sheet in contact with one of the wide walls, thereby further registering the sheet. In a second embodiment, similar to the first, the narrow wall and stop include internal projections against which an inserted sheet is registered. In a third embodiment, similar to the first, a manifold is coupled to the ports and a vacuum pump is coupled to the manifold to accelerate registration.

Abstract: A transport includes a sleeve through which a belt having abutments is driven at a predetermined speed. The sleeve includes along one of its narrow walls a plurality of ports and each of the abutments includes a number of holes. Fluid injected in parallel with the wide walls of the sleeve exits through the ports and passes through the holes of an abutment in the sleeve. As a result, a sheet fed into the sleeve is biased against one of the abutments and the narrow wall and moves through the sleeve at the same speed as the belt. In moving through the sleeve at said predetermined speed, the sheet moves past a window in the sleeve. To eliminate flutter of the sheet as it moves past the window, fluid is injected through a wide wall of the sleeve, thereby biasing the sheet against the belt. As a result, slit-scan xerographic apparatus in cooperation with the window may be synchronized with the belt drive to provide a copy of information on the sheet.

Abstract: A system for presenting documents to a slit-scan xerographic exposure station includes a fluidic storage station having a housing in which a rack for storing documents is located. The rack includes a plurality of pockets in each of which a document may be stored, the rack being movable in a vertical direction so that any one of its pockets may be aligned with an opening in the housing. A fluid stream is used to move a document in a pocket aligned with the opening out of the storage apparatus and into engagement with transport apparatus. The transport apparatus includes a vacuum document drum which moves a document past the exposure station and, in one mode of operation, inverts the document prior to its return to a pocket at the station. In another mode of operation, the direction of travel of the drum is reversed after the document has been exposed and the document is returned without inversion.

Abstract: A system wherein documents are presented to an exposure station of reproduction apparatus includes a housing in which a rack for storing documents is located. The rack includes a plurality of pockets in each of which a document may be stored, the rack being movable in a vertical direction so that any one of its pockets may be aligned with an opening in the housing. Fluid streams are used to either move a document in an aligned pocket through the opening and to the exposure station or from the exposure station into the pocket. Copies of documents presented to the exposure station are made by the reproduction apparatus. Adjacent the housing there is located an inverter into which documents from the rack are fluidically fed as desired. Inverted documents are returned to the rack with the assistance of a fluid stream. Inverted documents may be fed to the exposure station to provide duplex copies.