Abstract: An idler system that is both self-centering and self-aligning with a drive roll. The idler assembly consists of a pair of rolls connected by a shaft, the shaft being supported in a housing. The housing is retained by a resilient spring member which member allows the axis of rotation of the idler rolls to pivot in more than one plane simultaneously. This pivoting causes the axis of rotation of the idler assembly to align parallel with the drive roll axis. The single spring also provides an even loading of the normal force across the width of the drive nip. As a result of the alignment and even loading, skewing of a sheet is prevented as it is driven through the nip formed by the drive roll and the idler roll. The resilient spring mounting also allows for easy replaceability of the idler assembly and the housing is easily locatable between tabs formed in the frame of the machine for mounting the idler assembly therein.

Abstract: In a sheet output system with a stacking tray for a reproduction apparatus, in which sheets sequentially moving in an output path are fed out from a sheet ejection nip for stacking in the stacking tray, a sheet separating assistance unit is mounted adjacent the ejection nip with three evenly circumferentially spaced radially extending sheet separating arms, with one separating arm automatically normally extending into the output path for engagement and partial rotation and translation solely by a moving sheet lead edge in the output path, while maintaining at least one separating arm in contact with the moving sheet as the moving sheet is fed out from the sheet ejection nip to provide sheet separating assistance, even if the nip reverses for duplexing. The automatic realignment of the device to a lead edge catching position after each sheet is provided by gravity with an eccentric over-center mounting system with a large triangular shaped mounting aperture.

Abstract: In a digital imaging document handling system for sequentially feeding plural document sheets in a document feeding path from a document input to an electronic imaging station, wherein document sheet feeding stoppages in the document feeding path are detectable, a simplified job recovery system is provided by providing a duplicate image detection system for the automatic deletion of duplicate electronic document page images. The duplicate page images may be detected efficiently without full image comparisons by checksumming the pixels of multiple cell areas for the page, deleting the least significant figures, and comparing the respective cell checksums.

Abstract: In a document handler for sequentially feeding document sheets over an imaging platen to be imaged with a constant velocity driven roller overlying the imaging platen, a document feeding control system which predicts when the constant velocity driven sheet feeding roller will be driven against the platen with no document sheet therebetween, an automatic lifting system which automatically lifts the feeding roller away from the platen in response to the document feeding control system predicting that no document sheet will be between the feeding roller and the platen and a forward roller driving signal being applied or when a reverse driving signal is being applied. The constant velocity feeding roller has at least four sections of two different diameters; an inner pair of common diameter feed roller surfaces and an outer pair of slightly smaller diameter surfaces on opposite sides providing document hold down and document edge detection image background.

Abstract: A sheet transport member has at least one surface for movable engagement with a sheet to be transported made from an elastomeric thermoplastic styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block copolymer and a polysiloxane substantially uniformly dispersed throughout the copolymer, the polysiloxane being present in an amount of from about 0.5% to 8% by weight of the total weight of the composition and having a viscosity of from about 20 to 1,000,000 centistokes.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus for use with throughput from high speed copiers or printers includes dual independently acting control flaps that provide positive control of sheets being stacked in the apparatus by controlling the trail edges as well as the entire sheets as they are fed into a catch tray.