Abstract: A pay-for-use office machine, such as a digital copier, monitors and logs chargeable machine activities on a dynamically changeable session basis and generates a session activity report based on the logged activities during the session. The report enables capture of revenue value from an office machine by a pay-for-use service provider by summarizing activities so that costs associated with the activities can be assessed to the customer at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal. The report may be generated in hardcopy form by the office machine or may be transferred to the POS terminal electronically. The session activity report may include variable costing information for each chargeable activity.

Abstract: A pay-for-use office machine, such as a digital copier, monitors and logs chargeable machine activities on a dynamically changeable session basis and generates a session activity report based on the logged activities during the session. The report enables capture of revenue value from an office machine by a pay-for-use service provider by summarizing activities so that costs associated with the activities can be assessed to the customer at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal. The report may be generated in hardcopy form by the office machine or may be transferred to the POS terminal electronically. The session activity report may include variable costing information for each chargeable activity.

Abstract: A pultruded composite member having a longitudinal axis comprising a plurality of reinforcing fibers in a solid polymer matrix, said member having embedded at least one functional feature having been incorporated therein during its manufacture when the fiber reinforced liquid polymer was pulled through a pultrusion apparatus.

Abstract: The method of making a tubular pultruded member having a longitudinal axis and a substantially uniform wall thickness throughout includes providing a heated die with a mandrel extending through the forming die section and a bath of liquid polymer, simultaneously pulling continuous reinforcing fibers and at least one carrier tape with wall spacers through the liquid polymer bath around the mandrel and into and through the heated die to shape and cure the liquid polymer into a tubular pultruded member, the wall spacers having a thickness equal to the uniform distance between the outside surface of the mandrel and the inside surface of the die.

Abstract: A document handling apparatus includes a friction retard feeder for feeding documents from a stack. The friction retard feeder has a feed belt and a retard pad with a concaved portion as well as an inclined, but essentially straight stepped portion that shingles the documents in order to inhibit multifeeding, stubbing and reduce image abrasion of documents during feeding.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a two-piece universal non-dedicated high capacity feeder. The high capacity feeder has separate paper storage/handling and interface modules that enhance easy adaptation to most recorders by modification of only the interface module. Easy removal of the interface module from the cassette insertion slot of the recorder is made without disconnection of the paper handling module in order to make the slot available for any number of conventional cassettes.

Abstract: An automatic printing machine which forms an image on a sheet substrate has a multi-mode sheet output station in the form of a brush decision gate having a bidirectionally rotatable cylindrical fibrous brush to direct sheets upwardly over the top of the brush in a first sheet transport path when rotated in a counter clockwise direction and downwardly under the bottom of the brush in a second sheet transport path when rotated in a clockwise direction, the brush being selectively rotated in a clockwise and counter clockwise direction.

Abstract: An improved retard type sheet feeder with sheet separation for sequentially feeding individual sheets from a stack of the sheets, with particular utility for a bottom sheet (bottom of stack) separator/feeder which may be used in low cost document feeders for copiers. A low cost retard member mounting system prevents tilting or other undesired movement of the retard pad in the direction of sheet feeding, and allows only desired vertical movement [spring loading restricted] plus desired free lateral tilt for lateral pivotal self-leveling with respect to the opposing sheet feeding member. The retard pad sheet engagement surfaces and the opposing sheet feeding member engaging surface are shaped and positioned to optimize stack sheet separation and feeding while minimizing varying, uneven or localized high pressure points which could induce image smearing, vibration or other difficulties, cooperatively with and assisted by the mounting system.

Abstract: In a retard type botton sheet separator/feeder 80, in which the bottom of a stack of original document sheets is driven downstream to a separation nip with a retard pad 62 by the planer upper flight of a driven frictional separator bottom feed belt 50, that feeding is assisted by a normal force applying ski or shoe unit 70. The unit 70 pivotally lowers arm assembly 76 so that a large area planar bottom of a ski 72 is overlying the belt 50. The ski 72 rides on the top of the stack with low friction with a preset downward normal force. A pivotal mounting 74 thereof allows the free self-pivoting of the bottom surface of the ski 72 into continuous alignment with the plane of the top of the stack, pressing the stack between the ski and an opposing feeding belt area which is also maintained uniformly planar by a special belt supporting system. Thus the normal force is distributed evenly over a relatively large area.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding flimsy sheets of paper or the like, particularly dog-eared or curled edge original documents a sheet corner edge guiding and flattening transverse ribs system 90, 92 is provided. The sheet feeding guide baffle surface has a plurality of spaced apart and slightly vertically extending sheet-engaging ribs 90 extending thereover, divided into two opposingly diagonal sets of plural ribs 90a and 90b on the respective sides of the sheet feeding path, extending diagonally out away from one another from the centerline of the sheet separator/feeder 80 towards the respective outer edges of their respective side of the sheet feeding path. These diagonal ribs may have their upper surfaces in a common plane but can iron out towards their respective path sides the curled or folded corners of the sheet in that side of the path. The opposing baffle surface preferably has corresponding ribs 92.

Abstract: A sheet stacker and an automatic printing machine containing a sheet stacker are provided comprising a generally horizontal stacking platform having an outboard and an inboard end, an arcuate turn baffle at the inboard end of the platform for guiding and turning sheets onto the platform having a convex side forming a drive nip with a sheet drive assembly comprising a rotatable dirve shaft having fixedly mounted thereto as least one cylindrical, compressible foam drive roll and least two cylindrical fiber brushes, the diameter of the fiber brushes being greater than the diameter of the foam drive rolls whereby the brushes when rotated urge the lead edge of a sheet being fed generally vertically downward toward the nip formed between the foam rolls and the baffle to enable the foam rolls to actively drive the sheet through the nip around the turn baffle onto the support platform toward the outboard end.