Abstract: In a sheet feeding and separating system for feeding sheets downstream from a stack of sheets in a sheet stacking tray, with an sheet retard system having a sheet kickback, a sheet kickback control system comprising a high friction surface member, such as an EPDM elastomer, mounted in the sheet stacking tray extending vertically above the sheet stack supporting surface and sloping downwardly at a small angle in the downstream direction. This raised and sloping high friction surface member is positioned upstream of the sheet feeding and separating system to underlie the upstream end of the stack of sheets in the sheet stacking tray and to frictionally engage and retard upstream kickback movement of the bottom sheet of the stack of sheets by the sheet retard system.

Abstract: In a document handling system for feeding document sheets of varying dimensions to be imaged at an imaging station through a document feeding path from a document input tray, a system for automatically determining the dimension of the document sheet being fed in its feeding direction before it is imaged, yet also providing a compact document handling system with a short document feeding path, with a sheet buckling system including a sheet buckling chamber between the document input tray and the imaging station, and feeding the trailing portion of the document sheet faster than the leading portion to substantially buckle the intermediate portion out of the document feeding path so that the distance between the trailing and leading ends of the buckled document sheet along the document feeding path is substantially reduced, and so that the trailing end of the buckled document sheet normally passes and actuates a first sheet edge sensor before the sheet reaches a second sheet edge sensor upstream of the imaging s

Abstract: A document imaging system for the imaging at a selected first or second imaging station of document sheets to be reproduced, including a pivotably mounted liftable automatic document handler with an integral input tray for the documents sheets, and a normally closely underlying output stacking tray into which the document sheets are ejected by the automatic document handler after imaging at the first imaging station for controlled stacking and retrieval, the second imaging station having a large imaging platen for the manual placement thereon of document sheets to be scanned, and a large manual platen cover normally overlying the large imaging platen, and pivotably mounted to be liftable for the manual placement of document sheets on the large imaging platen; wherein the output stacking tray of the automatic document handler is integrally formed in the upper surfaces of the large manual platen cover and not mounted to the automatic document handler, and the automatic document handler is liftable independently

Abstract: A document handling system adapted for delivery of documents to an imaging station of an imaging input terminal. The system includes a driven friction belt for transporting the documents across a platen of the imaging station. The belt is urged into planar orientation with the platen by slider plates which are ski-like members that bear upon the belt. The slider plates are arranged to bear upon the margins of the imaging area to smooth documents on the belt and to urge such document onto the platen, thus providing an improved imaging of documents delivered to the imaging station.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine in which successive electrostatic latent images are recorded on a moving photoconductive belt. Each latent image is adapted to be recorded in a designated region on the photoconductive belt. The designated regions are separated from one another by an inter-image zone. A test patch is recorded in the inter-image zone. The number of designated regions on the photoconductive belt is adjusted so that the size of the inter-image zone is increased enabling a portion of the latent image to be recorded in the inter-image zone without overlapping any portion of the test patch.

Abstract: A recirculating document handling apparatus and method for plurally recirculating original document sheets to and from a stack thereof and to and from the imaging station of a copier for providing precollation copying, providing selected ones of different but compact and partially shared document recirculation loop paths within a common loop path, selected depending on the copying mode selected with path selector means.

Abstract: A recirculating document handling apparatus and method for plurally recirculating duplex original document sheets to and from a stack thereof and to and from the imaging station of a copier for providing duplex document precollation copying, providing selected ones of different, compact, partially shared document recirculation looped paths depending on the copying mode selected with movable path selector means for, in an immediate duplex mode, returning a document sheet in a selected loop path directly but inverted to said copying station for copying the opposite side thereof after copying one side thereof and before returning the document sheet to said stack, and alternatively, in another, common side duplex copying mode, returning a document sheet to said stack inverted after copying one side thereof, using common paths.